Don't Let Your Guard Down
by originalcrazian
Summary: Tezuka didn't want anything to interfere with tennis, especially girls.But life still had some "fun" surprises in store for the captain than just tennis and school. And they were not, to say, his cup of tea. TezukaOC Finally updated.
1. Chapter 1

**_OriginalCrazian_**: So it's a Tezuka fan fiction… I hope it flows well.

(6/15): It's been fixed.

**_Disclaimer_**: I do not own POT

**Don't let Your Guard Down**

**Chapter 1**

**Off **

Spring, the time of new beginnings. The weather was just perfect, not too cold and not too hot, everything was just right. At Seigaku, all athletic regulars were ecstatic to practice later in the day, and both students and teachers appreciated the season. Even the school's ideal student, Kunimitsu Tezuka, took notice of the brilliant day. Well almost everyone appreciated the weather and took advantage of it.

Kira Niwa, who had sat in between the windows and to the left the Tezuka, had her head down and her sea green sleeves covering her face, once again fallen asleep in history. Normally, her classmates and teacher would continue class. Although some of her classmates followed her lead, teachers highly disagreed with Kira's defective learning methods.

Everyone knew that Kira's grades in history weren't the best, she often scored a 76 on average. In fact aside from Gym, English, and Chemistry, she had been pretty much average at all other classes.

Tezuka had just finished taking his notes when he noticed Kira's random mumbling as she slept, of course being Tezuka he simply ignored it until he saw his teacher walk down the aisle approaching Kira's desk. As the foot step closed in, his neighbor's body jerked awake.

Kira scratched her head oblivious to the situation that she was in. She yawned and scratching her head she mumbled in a dazed, "What was I dreaming about?"

The students around her watched as Kira took noticed their angry teacher. She continued her daily routine complimenting the teacher before she received another detention that would make her late for her tennis practice and interfere with the boy's practice.

Tezuka did not approve of this routine, he had often complained (which he rarely did about anyone). He did not like the way she would impose on their practice because of her habit of sleeping in school. Today he was going to confront the two people that could stop the girls' "Ace" from consistently being late.

-In Detention-

Kira always hated it detention. It wasn't her fault that she was an insomniac and just happen to fall asleep in a boring class. Dang it, she has to sleep somewhere.

Kira fumed, annoyed, playing with her dark hair that had be kept in a messy pony tail. She waited for the hour to pass quickly before she could play tennis.

_Argh, why do I have to spend my detention with these tutors?! I'm not stupid, people. I can figure these lessons out. I have books for a reason. And why do I still have an English tutor? History, I can slightly understand but English, really_, Kira thought as her English tutored tried to explain a metaphor to her.

Kira to her classmates had been known as the English genius. Regardless if she slept in the class or missed it, she would score a ninety or higher on her English tests. She was, after all the daughter of an English teacher, _was_ being the key word.

"Niwa, pay attention or you'll fail your next quiz." The tutor snapped.

"Yes, yes.." Kira replied.

_Just a few more minutes…_ Kira thought as she sat up in her desk, hoping God would be merciful and speed the time up so she could play tennis, precious tennis.

-Thirty minutes later-

"Oh, thank God!" Kira shouted with her hands in the air. She couldn't be happier to be outside, where the sunlight warmed her skin and the sent of fresh air filling her nostrils. A large glowing smile had been carved on her face. Finally she was out of detention.

"Now, I have to find that captain of mine," Kira thought aloud. She looked around for the tall captain. Suzuru usually stood out considering her height, loud voice, and her crazy orange dyed hair.

"Are you looking for me?" Kira jolted at the sound of the voice, she quickly turned around to see her tall captain.

"Ah well, yes. I'm wondering what to do-" Kira replied, scratching the back of her head as though to give a carefree feel.

"You're late detention's only fifteen minutes not thirty," Honda Suzuru snapped, she was angry.

"Ah, well about that, I got detention for English and History," Kira grinned, "So what do you want me to do?"

Suzuru sighed, regardless she could not let her good friend go with out punishment.

"Go run fifteen laps. Then find one of the regulars to play against you."

Kira began to walk off answering, "Aye, aye Captain."

-Track-

Kira stood there observing the scenery, she was surrounded with the boy's team again.

_I suppose if I don't finish my laps quickly Tezuka would be mad again. If that happens, Suzuru will yell at me,_ Kira concluded as she began running.

Her feet beat against the track field in rhythm. Her heart pounded against her chest, and her nose length bangs clung against her face, as sweat poured down her face that hot afternoon.

"Niwa! Watch out for the hurdles!" one of the track members warned. But Kira just accelerated, jumping over the hurdles. A smile carved on her face, she loved the high it gave her, the attention; the feel of all eyes falling on her. Yes, Kira loved it very much, so much she wouldn't trade if for the world.

The balls hit against the ground over and over as Kira lead her game with her opponent. Her clothes filled with sweat, she wiped her brow with the back of her sweat band. Kira had won the match again. Kira walked over the benches sitting down. She could hear her heartbeat increasing, her breathing increased, her legs felt like lead weights. She let the water flow through her lips.

"Niwa-sempai," Kira looked at the freshmen who had called her name, she raised an eyebrow as the freshmen continued, "Honda-buchou and Ryuzaki-sensei want to see you in her office."

Kira nodded, dragging her feet against the concrete towards the outdoor office. As she entered the building, she could feel the dramatic temperature change in the air-conditioned room, not to mention the atmosphere. The carefree feel that she had gain from the courts, had been overwhelmed with the tense air of the room. She shut the door behind her.

"I don't like this feeling," she mumbled under her breath. She continued louder asking, "You wanted to see me?"

She looked at the three people that had summoned her, Tezuka, Suzuru, and Ryuzaki.

"Have a seat," Ryuzaki suggested, be Kira shook her head, "I would rather stand."

Suzuru sighed, "Well, Niwa, I've been meaning to talk to you for a while about this."

"About what?" Kira asked.

"You're off the team," Tezuka stated.

"You're consistently tardy, sometimes I wonder if you should even bother showing up. You constantly distract other people from other clubs and impose on the Boys' Team as well." Ryuzaki explained, "We don't need players that can't fulfill their obligations."

Kira looked over to Suzuru as though asking if it was all true. Her friend just looked away. Kira sighed, keeping her composure. She forced a smile, bowing she responded, "Alright then, I guess I will be going now."

Suzuru jolted when she saw Kira's silver eyes. Kira's eyes were filled with anger, and unless Suzuru was mistaken, sadness. She had never seen her happy-go-lucky friend so out of character. Honestly, that scared Suzuru more than anything. Kira, when she wanted revenge while she was still herself had been a force to deal with by itself. Suzuru shivered at the thought of her friend's endless horrors she could inflict in this mood.

-With Kira.-

Kira emptied her locker throwing everything into her bag. Regardless if it was fragile or not, it was harshly thrown. She couldn't think straight, everything that she had held dearly taken away from her.

"Damn it," she swore, she had accidentally slammed the locker door on her finger in her fit of rage. She ignored the pain, zipping up her bag noticing that her water bottle and tennis racket weren't in the bag.

"Crap I left it on the court," she thought aloud. She tried to calm down, at least if she was going to leave at least she had to look dignified. She fixed her hair, washed her face and prepared herself.

She walked outside of the locker room, her face plastered with a smile and her whole personality changed back as though nothing has happened. Kira walked over to the court where her gear had been. She noticed that Tezuka was also on the sideline watching the golden pair go up against Kaidoh and Momo in a doubles match. She just quietly picked her tennis gear trying to avoid looking at Tezuka. Kira knew that Tezuka had been one of the reasons to why she was kicked off of the tennis team. Kira then realized that she had a history project with him, she sighed before stood up, and turned to Tezuka.

"Hey, Tezuka-kun, maybe you should come to my house later so that we can start our project," Kira suggested, "It'll be easier that way."

Tezuka just simply nodded, "What time should I come over?"

Kira pondered a bit, "Maybe at five, I'll ask Sora-nii if you can stay for dinner, I'll call you if anything changes."

He nodded as she began to leave, once she was out of sight he noticed that the doubles game had been over.

"Hoi hoi, Tezuka-buchou, what were you talking about with Kira-chan?" Eiji asked.

"According to my data, Tezuka and Niwa have to start their science project tonight," Inui answered.

"Everyone ten laps, now," Tezuka commanded. The members groaned before starting their laps.

Tezuka's family had always been close to Kira's, their grandfathers used to be good friend in the same police force. Even after their grandfathers had both retired (Although Tezuka's had started to teach judo to the new policemen), the Tezuka's and Niwa's still kept in touch. Although but Tezuka and Kira had grown up in similar environments they both ended as different results, her being a careless delinquent and him a top model student.

-Later-

Pok-pok-pok

The racket bounced the ball against the wall over and over occasionally falling against the pavement of the Niwa's back yard. Kira the sounds of the ball continue hoping that all her frustrations would go away.

Tennis was everything to her. Now that is was gone, who was she? She wanted to shout, yell, throw a fit, and just vent all of these feelings out.

Kira sighed as the ball rolled away she leaned against the back door. She needed to calm down.

Alright, Kira began thinking, let's think of why I started tennis.

She stood there trying to think of the reasons why she had first started tennis but none came to her. As far as she thought back it had always been forced onto her rather than playing for herself.

Her father had pressured her mother into letting him teach her tennis. And it stuck.

The door that had supported her began to open and Kira fell backwards. If it wasn't for her brother Sora catching her she would had a rather large head ache.

Sora was a bit taller than Tezuka, he like the rest of his siblings had dark hair. However unlike Kira, her brother inherited their mother's blue eyes.

"What the hell, I could've gotten a concussion if I fell!" Kira snapped regaining her footing.

"Watch your language," Sora replied, looking down at his sister, "Anyways, dishes need to be done, table needs to be set, living room's a mess, and laundry needs to be done."

"What am I, the maid?" Kira sarcastically replied, "It's your mess, you clean it up."

Sora sighed, knowing that he wouldn't have to do any cleaning with Kira's slight obsessive-compulsive disorder on his side. Once Kira had stepped into the house ,she noticed the mountains of dirty dishes that piled in sink, the counters were shrouded with excess garbage that had been at one point food. Sora simply walked over to the stove to check on the night's dinner menus. Kira looked passed the door into the living room that was loitered with baskets of clothes and Sora's books. She couldn't take it anymore, it must be cleaned.

"You're such a pig," Kira yelled. Sora smirked as Kira quickly began cleaning the house.

Within an hour Kira had finished the cleaning the dishes and counters, had set the table and began mopping the floor. Sora noticed the extra plate that his sister had set out. " Can't you count?"

"I can too! If there's an extra plate then there's another person. If there's another person then we have a guess. Get with the game, Idiot," Kira dully replied.

"Who? Is it a boy?" Sora asked. Kira sighed, "Yes, it's Kunimitsu Tezuka."

"Oh," He said. "I thought you finally got a boyfriend. Did you tell 'jii-san"

"No! If you tell him, how can Tezuka and I concentrate on our project?" Kira replied.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he sighed. Unknowing to them their grandfather, Mako, had overheard their conversation.

-Five O'clock-

The doorbell rang through the house as Kira rushed down the stairs to answer the door.

"I got it!" she announced, opening the door. When she opened the she just expected the tall megane, with brown hair and dark eyes, whose face wouldn't be grace with a smile. The same guy who had her kicked off of the team the first place. But she did not foresee his whole family there.

"Um hello, Kunikazu-sensei, Kuniharu-san, Ayana-san, and Kunimitsu-kun what are all of you doing here?" Kira asked, inviting them in the now cleaned living room.

"Oh, he's here?" Sora looked out from the kitchen opening, "Oh ,they're all here. Did you invite them?"

"I invited them over! I over heard that Kunimitsu would be coming over for a study session and I thought why not invite the whole family? So I called up Kunikazu and invited them over," her grand father announced, descending from the stairway in a summer kimono.

Kira let out a sigh. "Well, I suppose that I'll set out some more plates."

"'Jii'-chan I wish you'd tell me ahead," Sora sighed. "Dinner should be ready in half an hour."

"Kunimitsu-kun, we can start our project upstairs while the other talk," Kira smiled.

_I really wanna gag,_ she thought as she gave him her brightest smile.

Kira quickly finished up setting out three more plates and led Tezuka into her room.

Kira's room had a quiet peaceful air about it. It wasn't loud, vibrant or messy as Tezuka had expected. It was a very solemn room that reminded him of his.

"Well sit down," Kira stated as she walked over to the small table in her room. Tezuka nodded before sitting down. He half expected that Kira to explode or yelled at him for getting her kicked off of the regular's team. But she didn't. Maybe he was just over reacting or expecting too much? Kira just sat there, talking about a schedule for the project and how much they would get done. She was much more responsible than he had expected.

The half hour went by quickly as they agreed to start the project on Saturday and after school Monday. Neither of the two teenagers made eye contact. Kira was avoiding him and Tezuka was focused on the project.

-Dinner-

Kira glanced at the food that lay in front of her. She noticed the large amount of vegetables that she believed, Sora had set close to her on purpose. She glanced over at her brother and Sora gave her a stared that shouted. "EAT YOUR VEGITABLES."

She sighed, as she quickly took a piece of the stirred fry beef and fried rolled eggs and drank her miso soup.

"Kira, you hardly touched the vegetables," Ayana pointed out, noticing that Kira had avoided anything green from the dinner, "You should eat some, it's good for your skin and health."

Kira gave a smile to Tezuka's mother, who she thought was quiet lovely. When they had first met she couldn't believe that Ayana was Tezuka's mother. She was much more laidback and too young to be his mother. But as Kira sat across from the two of them, she could see the resemblance. Both Tezuka and his mother had great posture and they both looked elegant.

"Ah I was just saving them for last that's all," Kira lied, taking a few from the plate.

"No, no, no you should take more, you're a growing girl," Ayana said, encouraging Kira. Kira did as she was told, taking enough to Ayana's satisfaction. She stared at her plate that had now been filled with green beans, snow peas and spinach. She could almost hear her brother's triumphant laugh. Kira quickly ate the vegetables trying her best not to show her distaste for them.

Dinner slowly turned into a social gathering as the parents and Sora began discussing about medical studies. The grandfathers and Yuki (who had came home half an hour after the Tezuka's had arrived from a study group) had moved into the living room to discuss old times as Yuki listened. Kuniharu had volunteered his grandson to help Kira wash the dishes, like an obedient child Tezuka did as he was told.

The two stood there side by side, Kira washing and Tezuka drying. The kitchen was quiet, so quiet it had made Kira slightly uneasy.

"Hey Tezuka," Kira began trying to make small talk, "Thanks."

"For what?" he asked.

"For getting me kicked off of the team." Kira's heart jumped with joy as she heard him respond. "You see earlier, I was so angry I wanted to punch, yell and do God knows what to you. Tennis was the only thing I had left but when I tried calming down. I thought of reasons why I started tennis, why I needed it so much. I couldn't think of a single reason why."

"Why did you start it?" He asked. Kira stared at him not expecting him to ask that.

"My parents growing up wanted me to play a sports, being my father's daughter it only seemed natural to follow in his footsteps and become a tennis player," she answered giving him the last dish. She smiled gently, she expected him to just ignore her like he did in class, but he was genuinely listening to her. She looked at him, noticing something had changed as well, "You've grown. I haven't noticed until now but you're taller than me now."

In freshman year, Kira remembered, Tezuka being shorter than her, she was ecstatic when she first met him. Seeing him play tennis against the regulars, she even remembered developing a small crush on the boy. But that was then and this was now.

"Hey do you want to go and play a game of tennis? The public court is just around the corner," Kira suggested, "If I don't do anything I might end up gaining weight and become highly unattractive."

He sighed nodding, "I'll get my stuff."

Tezuka didn't live far from the Niwa's, actually he lived across the streets from them.

"Okay I'll tell Sora and your parents," Kira smiled leaving the room.

-The Match-

Kira huffed wiping the sweat away from her brow.

H_ow can he still go on,_ she thought, _Alright Kira just two consecutive points and you win this game._

Tezuka was leading five to one, but for the game they had been playing they were in a duce. Kira served again. The ball went back and forth but in the end Kira couldn't keep up giving Tezuka the advantage.

_Why? Why is he still able to return like that_, Kira thought. She kept coming up with the same reasoning.

"I forfeit," She sighed angrily, "If you're going to beat me, next time leave me with some pride and don't give me a handicap. Next time we play, I will defiantly make you play at full. But we should go home."

He nodded as Kira began picking up the ball. He was surprised that she had notice his plays were not at his best. Tezuka just didn't want her to feel inferior. He followed behind her closely.

"Hey Tezuka," Kira began, "Why did you start playing tennis?"

He didn't answer.

-later that night.-

Kira stared at the ceiling, a melancholy atmosphere arose from the room, she felt her cheeks slightly wet. Thinking of the events today, oh God she loved tennis and Seigaku, she really loved being on the tennis team. Now that her title was taken away from her, what remained of her identity? Who was she?

* * *

**OriginalCrazian**: So, I started off with an idea! And somehow it Manifest itself into this story I like it really. It's long though, this first chapter. I'm sorry if it's too long. And it sounds somewhat sad. I promise the next won't be sad! She sounds a little…Mary sue-ish… But it was slightly needed for this chapter. Maybe… well good night!

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

**OriginalCrazian:** There's a fairly large rant at the end. xD mysticLegend11 helped edit this.xD I'm very grateful that she has help me. Hopefully I will correct the rest later.

**Disclaimer:** Sigh must I be repeated with the same pains as before? I don't own POT okay?

**Don't let Your Guard Down **

**Chapter 2**

**Thank You **

By the end of the second week since she was kicked off, Kira was on the verge of shooting herself. Rumors of Kira (which hadn't been rumors but the actual truth) had spread, only to give her headaches and to top it oft, it was confirmed that she would not be playing in any competitions anytime soon, they had replaced her.

Even the extra time on her hands had become a great pain in the butt. Her former fan boys had began to confess to her and asked if she would go out with them knowing that she could not use her typical excuse of "I have practice tonight," or "I just want to focus on tennis."

_Honestly, these boys make me kind of regret lying_, Kira thought doodling on her notebook. Kira was in the middle of English class and she was already ready to go home. She sighed turning her attention to the window.

_What a nice day to play tennis_, Kira observed. Ever since she had been kicked off of the regulars' team, all she could think about was tennis. But she didn't attend the club after that in fear of being ridiculed…well in fear of getting a headache from being ridiculed.

Oh how she hated Tezuka and Suzuru at the moment. As the teacher quickly left the room, people around her continued to whisper as though she wasn't there, and she hated it. She hated that she was being looked down upon. True, she did love attention, but she absolutely hated to be condescended. If it weren't for the two captains, she would still be on the team the whispers around her would be praise. But all she could do now was relive her memories and try to concoct on the perfect way to mess with Suzuru's head. Oh how she missed tennis practice seeing Suzuru ever day, teasing her, humiliating her by throwing her clothes around in the locker room as she would attempt to sneak around looking for them half-naked or making her wear any ridiculous get-up Kira could find and posting the pictures online. Oh, how she missed the good old days of harassing her best friend. Now that Suzuru had taken away her identity, she needed to pay.

_Maybe, a monkey suit? Doctor a photo? Oh I know….wait that's just a little too mean_, Kira contemplated thinking of ways to mentally scar her friend,_ I could always just- no, no, no too expensive. I'll stay with the monkey suit._

"Niwa pay attention!"

Kira's thought process had been interrupted by a piece of chalk that had been chucked at her head, which had left a white and red mark on her forehead.

"Ow, what was that for?" Kira mumbled rubbing her forehead, "When did he get back?"

"Niwa, detention!"

Kira twitched shouting in her head, _What did I do?!_

This week was could have certainly been better.

-- -

Kira sighed leaving detention. Why was she always treated as a delinquent? Sure she slept in class, snapped at a teacher when she was woken up, swore a couple of time, and yes, she did distract a couple of students here and there, but that was all explainable. She was a teenager and that's what a teen does, right? Right.

"I didn't even do anything this time," she snapped, kicking the wall and hurting her foot, "Gah! I swear this week cannot get any worse!"

"No yelling in the hallway, Niwa, and no defacing the school with your childish fits. Detention Monday afternoon," her math teacher ordered, who just happened to pass.

Kira began running off as though to avoid another detention. "This can't possibly get any worse."

"Hey no running— that's another detention, Niwa?" The teacher sighed. She had disappeared before he could give her another detention. "Oh well, I'll just tell her it's for Tuesday."

"ARGH!" Kira groaned once she step foot outside of the school, "This is totally not my day! First no tennis, then detention, then my foot, now another one! This is totally not cool."

Kira began walking over to the courts, as she did out of habit. She just sat there watching on the sidelines. This time, she noticed the large circle of people in the center of the court.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt if I checked it out," Kira thought aloud making her way over to the circle.

-Five minutes prior-

"Practice is finished," Tezuka began but Ryuzaki interrupted, "Everyone gather around I have an announcement to make, girls too."

Everyone gathered around the coach as the two captains stared at the old coach, wondering what was going on. Behind the old red-haired woman stood a younger, taller, blonde man, Tezuka recognized the man as the former vice captain Katsu Sato.

"Oh my gosh, you're Katsu," Suzuru exclaimed. "You're the vice captain before Tezuka right?"

The blonde man nodded with a soft smile as Ryuzaki introduced him.

"I see some of you remember Katsu Sato, he was former student here. But he is now here to scout out students for Tenjho High. He is also volunteering as a tennis mentor. So if you see him around with a notebook, don't disappoint him."

"It's an honor to meet you all," Katsu began bowing. "I look forward with working with you."

"Why didn't you introduce him earlier?" piped one of the members. "Why now, Ryuzaki-sensei?"

"I had asked her not to," the man's voice was loud and clear. "I wanted to see what you guys had to offer without the thought of a scout being here. I wanted to see how you played naturally."

"Alright, now you guys can go change and go home," Ryuzaki concluded turning to Katsu. "Since you'll be starting Monday, you think of ways to help the rookies and start preparing sophomores and freshmen to fill the shoes of this year's regulars."

"Ah, alright, hey, Ryuzaki-san, where's Niwa? I heard that she was on the regulars' team again," He paused. "Did she transfer?"

"Oh no she's—" Ryuzaki was interrupted by a loud voice that no one could mistake.

"Katsu," Kira exclaimed jumping onto the man. "I missed you. How are you? Why didn't you say that you were coming or that you were volunteering when I last emailed you?"

"I wanted to be a surprise. Where were you? I didn't see you anywhere. Were you changing?" Katsu asked.

"Ah, well I was in detention," Kira sighed as he let her down. "It was for something stupid again."

"Oh thought you weren't on the team anymore," Katsu laughed as Kira grew tense but concealed her irritation.

"She isn't," Ryuzaki stated, Kira just glared at her as she continued, "Niwa was late to often and she kept forfeiting matches that she didn't like."

"Late?" Katsu asked looking at Kira. Kira succumb to the pressure and finally told the degrading truth, "I got detention a lot, and Suzuru kept drilling me on unless running, which interfered with other clubs. The whole thing just snowballed from there." She tilted her head and sighed. "It became too troublesome for them."

"I see."

Tennis players poured from the locker rooms. Most had begun their way home as some had continued their way back to Katsu and Kira. Among them were the regulars.

"Katsu-San, you're back! You remember me don't you, nya?" Eiji asked. He was playful as usual. His hair had been brushed back and his band aid neatly replaced. His arms were folded behind his red-hair. His smile was as large as ever that gave off that nice relaxed happy glow.

"Who are you?" Katsu blink. Eiji face fell in disbelief. Did his old fukubuchou forget him? Katsu laughed whole heartily, "Of course I remember you, never had a better acrobatic player than you, Kikumaru. Seeing you guys brings back memories from the good old days. I thought I'd drop by and see how you were doing."

"We're doing well," Eiji continued on the conversation. As Kira slowly disappeared from the scene.

"Tezuka, How's you're arm?" He prompted catching Tezuka's attention.

"It's been doing well," The stoic-faced captain replied, noticing that Kira's face was once again solemn. She noticed him staring at her as though he was ready to ask if she was fine. She gave him a reassuring smile. Tezuka gave a slight nod before returning his attention to Katsu. The conversation lasted a few minutes before everyone began leaving. Eiji and Kira walked ahead conversing as they usually did.

"Kira how was detention, nya? It must have been boring!" Eiji asked, he noticed a booking in her hand, "Hey Kira-chan what are you reading?"

"Detention oddly enough was somewhat enjoyable. I was catching up on some homework and I found this really interesting book," She replied hold a copy of "Catcher in the Rye" up for his to see.

"Looks cool, what is it about?" He asked curious. Eiji smile, he loved walking with Kira. He felt as though he could talking on for ages and she would still be there laughing and listening to him. She just entertained him with her weird ideas she got, the odd things that she read, and her personality was just weird in general.

"It's an angsty book, but it's very enjoyable," She smiled. "It's a very interesting book. It makes me think, you know?"

Eiji looked at the book filled with English words which he hadn't been able to completely read. The book confused him. Eiji wasn't as great with English as Kira had been, he was just average.

"You can read that? Why don't you just yet one in Japanese?" He asked amazed, she nodded and replied. "I find it better to read things in their original language. It makes more sense when you do."

"Oh this is where I leave. Bye, Eiji." She smiled, pointing to the corner where her and Tezuka's house had been. The sun had already begun to set, and the moon was barely visible.

"Do you want me to come with you? It's dangerous to walk alone at night," Eiji asked, a bit concerned. "I watched a few movies last night about how a girl was attacked at night you know."

"Eiji, you're so cute," Kira laughed as she ruffled his hair. "Don't worry about it, Tezuka lives by me and he's not that far see?"

Kira pointed to the tall brunette who was behind them the whole entire time.

"Okay, see you Monday, Kira-chan, don't get anymore detentions, alright?" Eiji warned with a smile before running off. Kira giggled as she waited for Tezuka.

Kira watched Tezuka as he walked. He had stayed behind for a few minutes after Kira and Eiji had left. She watched as he got closer, noticing that his posture was like his mother's proud and elegant. He reminded her much of her own mother, when she still had one. He stood tall and he never rushed anything. She remembered the moment when he started at her earlier, she never took noticed of Tezuka until now. She remembered how kind his eyes were, she didn't expect it from him. She assumed that his eyes were emotionless like his face was. But it wasn't they had as much emotion as she did. They were really beautiful. Wait, what was she thinking? Tezuka's eyes beautiful?

Kira hit head with the book to snap herself back to reality. Tezuka was only a few feet away, she tapped her foot impatiently. "Oi, Tezuka hurry up," she shouted. Once he had arrive she continued.

"Finally, jeez, Tezuka you're so slow at walking," she teased, looking up at him.

When he didn't bother looking at the girl beside her, Kira continued. "You know I really hated you earlier today. You didn't warn me the teacher was coming in and the rumors were really annoying." He gave no indication of hearing her. "But you kind of helped me today because I found out why I wanted to play. I wanted to play today because of all my friends were in the tennis club and when I did well I was praised for it. Pretty shallow right? But I really like the positive attention. Negative…not so much."

He glanced down at her and spoke with a monotonous voice, "So you now spend all you days thinking of the past and not focusing on the future?"

Kira frowned, trying to ignore the comment. As they continued walking she remembered the project that they will have to start, "Tezuka, Sora's going to be out studying at the library tomorrow, so we can do the project at my house around twelve okay?"

When he nodded, Kira smiled.

"It's a date." She laughed as they arrived at her house and waved goodbye before running into the house.

**OriginalCrazian:** This is also a weird chapter isn't it? Hmm I think I'll make this a simple series of stories. I like Kira, a lot if you're wondering how 'Killer' was incorporated. I was watching Death Note last night. And I made like 4 version of this. You'll see how Katsu and Kira's nickname came to be. I swear I'll try to make her as realistic as possible. I think she's bipolar sometimes. But then again have you ever felt awful for losing something that meant a lot to you? Oh in the first chapter you noticed that Kira, Tezuka and Suzuru have different view on Kira. This was not a mistake. It's more like to show how well Kira shows herself to certain people, and not her true self. I've notice a lot of people like that haven't you? Well I'm ranting on again aren't I?


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** blah blah blah I don't own POT Blah Blah Blah I am Sad.

**OriginalCrazian:** No rant this time. It's just really long. Thought I'd warn you. Oh updated again. It's bee corrected. Thankyou MysticalLedgen11

**Don't Let Your Guard Down **

Study Date

-

"YOU WENT ON A DATE WITH TEZUKA?!" Suzuru exclaimed after several attempts to call Kira. To her unfortunate luck, Kira never bothered to turn on her phone till after the study date had ended.

"Yeah," Kira said uneasily. "Why?"

"Details! What did you two do—" Kira looked at her cell as the call dropped.

"Oh it's out of batteries," she mumbled, connecting it to her charger. The cell vibrated, Kira didn't really want to pick it up, so she left it vibrating on her desk. She didn't want to deal with Suzuru's gossip habits anyways. Today had been a really…off day. She lied on her bed, closing her eyes. Her head was a bit confused about the events that had happened earlier in the day.

-Beginning of the day-

_Ding dong_

"Hello?" Kira asked answering the door. When she had answered she was nowhere surpised to see the tall megane standing in front of her in a black button-up T-shirt and jeans. "Ah, you're here! But it's too loud here, Sora's study group decided to come here because of his 'free food'. How about going to a small café around here, neh? It's really quiet and there's free wireless Internet. They have the best sweets too. And it's not at all crowded."

Tezuka agreed and waited as Kira ran upstairs to retrieve her brother's laptop and flashdrive.

-At the café-

The Café was quiet, much like a bookstore. They sat at the last table by the window. Kira sat next to Tezuka. A playful soft piano tune played in the background and the aroma of sweets filled the air.

"What else do we need to do?" Tezuka asked looking over her shoulder, his hot breathe on her neck that sent shivers down her back. It was weirdest feeling she ever felt.

"We just have to review the information and do some animation about Athens. I wanted you to look at it. I also added some graphics and whatnot," Kira answered.

She was the same around him. The scent of baked sweets were blended with her vanilla scented perfume, which jumped into his nostrils like a sweep of fresh air. He never really took in his partner's voice as he did now. He never really listened to it. Her voice was apathetic. There was never really any excitement in her voice even if it changed constantly. None of her words ever distilled any feeling inside him.

"Tezuka-kun," she asked, catching his attention, even if only for a bit. "What do you think of the effects?" The effects were really nothing to special but it was good. It presented the information without being to flamboyant.

The effects weren't dull, and it wasn't too fancy either. Everything was normal. Much like their lives: normal childhoods, normal tragedies, painful injuries, lost loves.. Both of them, Tezuka Kunimitsu and Niwa Kira, were just two normal teenagers working on a normal project in normal café on a normal day. However, it didn't seem so to those who had spotted the two in the café, especially not to the male regulars of Seigaku's tennis club, who just happened to pass by that day.

-outside-

"Saaa, isn't that Tezuka-buchou and Niwa-san in that café?" Fuji asked pointing across the street. Fuji, along with the other regulars, had been practicing over at a tennis club that one of the freshmen trio had offered to help for something Echizen had done the week before. So the team —their captain had no knowledge of this—went over to practice, and were on their way to grab something to eat when Fuji pointed out the couple.

"Hey, it really is them. Let's say hi and see what they're doing," Momo suggested, walking towards the café before being stopped by Fuji.

"Don't you think that it's weird that Tezuka didn't come with us? Rather than practicing, he's hanging around with Niwa-san." Fuji's smile became a bit larger when he opened an eye. "Do you think Niwa-san is Tezuka's girlfriend?"

Ryoma looked at his senpai. "But didn't Niwa-sempai get kick off the tennis team because of Tezuka-buchou? Wouldn't she be mad? Tezuka-buchou is too focused on tennis to have a girlfriend."

"Echizen has a point, Fuji. Kira-chan was pretty upset," Momo commented.

"Maybe it's because Kira-chan and Tezuka-Buchou live by each other, they seemed close, nya." Eiji smiled, looking over at the two. "What do you think, Oishi?"

Oishi scratch his head, not totally convinced of the situation. "Well I heard their grandfathers are good friends, but Niwa-san has only known Tezuka as long as I have. They might just be working on a project."

"Buchou just touched her hair," Eiji and Momo announced. Before they knew it, all eight members were spying on the two.

-Meanwhile with Kira and Tezuka-

"Oh thanks, didn't realize there was a fuzz in my hair, thank you for pulling it out." She smiled. A smile tugged at Tezuka's lips but he ignored it replying with just nod.

"Do you want something to eat?" she asked, looking at him.

"No, it's okay," he replied looking at her; he thought for a moment that he had seen a group of boys starring at them, but once he blinked they were gone. He suspiciously kept his guard up.

"Are you sure? How about some tea? My treat," she asked. She felt uncomfortable being there with the uneasy feeling of having eyes staring at her from across the streets.

When she looked over, she swore she saw Eiji and Oishi, but a truck went in front of two before she got a good look. "I won't take no for an answer."

He reluctantly agreed, knowing either way the effort wasn't worth winning the battle. He looked over the window, and he swore he saw Eiji's fire red hair flashing toward the corner. He stood up, looking out the window. But he once again saw nothing.

"What are you doing?" Kira asked holding two cups of coffee and a fairly large slice of chocolate cake on a plate with 2 forks.

"Nothing, thank you," he replied scooting over. He looked incredulously at the cake he had thought she was going to eat by herself.

"Here you go." She offered him a fork. "I thought we'd share one. The chocolate cake is to die for." Eyebrows twitching, he looked at cake but took the fork anyways. When he took the first bite, he couldn't believe how sweet the cake was. They ate in silence for the exception of the occasional 'sorry' or 'Look, it's almost done.' Most of the conversation mainly came from Kira.

-Tennis Crew-

After nearly being caught several times, the tennis regulars made sure this time that they wouldn't get caught by doing the obvious. They entered the café and sat in a small corner, spying on the two teenagers.

"Oishi, they're so boring." Eiji whined. "Tezuka- buchou isn't doing anything but share cake with her and messing around with the laptop."

"Eiji, be quiet or they'll hear us," Momo whispered. He leaned back, "They are boring aren't they?"

"Maybe they need a push?" Fuji suggested; no one dared to guess what had been plotting in Fuji's head. He just grinned and everyone around him felt slightly threaten.

-With Kira and Tezuka-

"Okay, that's it, we're finally finished!" Kira exclaimed, as she stood up from the seat followed by Tezuka who carried the laptop. Kira took it from him and put it in her bag, "I can carry it, it's my brother's laptop. Don't worry about it."

Tezuka let it slide, still uneasy about the constant sightings of his tennis team floating about.

Kira felt strange too, but seeing constant sighting of her classmates made her feel… a bit delusional. The only time she got delusional was when she was sick, and she was absolutely sure that she wasn't sick. As they began to walk home, the sun was still out. It seemed to be almost like the sun was going to set an hour prior.

"Hey, Tezuka, don't you feel like we're being watched?" She asked quietly. He nodded, not giving her a very assuring feeling, she continued. "I thought I saw Eiji-kun earlier today, while we were in the café."

Tezuka glanced down at her, "I thought so too."

His voice calmed her nerves as she reassured herself that it was just the tennis team tracking down their captain. She couldn't help but giggle at the sight.

She couldn't help but wonder why the all regulars were stalking them. Unless they thought that she and Tezuka were on a date. She laughed at the thought; to her standards, the two didn't even look like a couple, much less act like one.

"Wow," She gasped looking at a glass display that they passed in a bookstore. It was showing a new book that she often enjoy reading. "Tezuka, we need to stop in here." With that, she dragged the reluctant captain in. Snatching the copy with one hand and the other holding Tezuka's, she quickly ran to the counter and placed the book down. "I need this!"

"That'll be (1) ¥1128.04 for the hardcover," the cashier said scanning it.

Kira looked at her wallet with a frown, "Darn, I'm short (2) ¥ 563.582."

She heard the cashier ring, and she look next to her, Tezuka had already bought the book with his hands outreached.

"Here."

"It's yours, you paid for it," she objected, matching his gaze. She never realized how brown his eyes were, and for a moment she was struck speechless.

"It's to pay back for the tea," He explained, handing it to her. Much to her knowledge, Tezuka was stubborn as her, and she knew it was effortless to argue and so she just took it. "Thank you."

"What a cute couple," the cashier chuckled. "Please come back again!"

Kira felt her face heat up like fire and quickly denied the comment. "We're not a couple." The cashier just smiled as they walked out. Even the cold winds of spring could not cool her face; it was red as Eiji's hair for most of the trip home.

On the way home the streets were crowded, a man bumped into Kira luckily Tezuka caught her. The man had the same bright tomato red hair as Eiji's, but the face was covered by his jacket, which ruffled up with the wind.

Ever since they were called a "couple" by the cashier, her mind had been racing with the idea. She gingerly blushed at Tezuka's soft touch on her wrist. Being closed to Tezuka didn't help. On the way home, they also encountered a fortune-teller who Tezuka identified as Yumiko, Fuji's older sister. Yumiko had told her something about falling in love with a close friend. During the reading, Kira couldn't help but to glance over at Tezuka, and she once again felt her face turn red again. She was a little awkward and self-conscious ever since they were first mistaken as a couple. She had no idea why she was feeling this way.

Once they had escape, walking back the main street made everything return to normal in its familiarity. Her relief stayed until someone ran up, giving Tezuka a rose from a person they swore looked like Momo, but much like previous event, they weren't able to see the face clearly this time due to the hat he wore. At first Kira began thinking that the Tezuka and herself had become part of some conspiracy. Then she was shocked that she didn't get the rose. She really adored roses. Finally they made it back Kira's home without interruption.

"I swear they looked identical to the tennis team. It's like we were having people push us together," Kira exclaimed, stopping at her door-step.

"Do you want the rose?" Tezuka asked. He didn't care for flowers. Kira, on the other hand, adored the roses, of which he had learned on their walk to her house. Kira was extremely loquacious that day, so all Tezuka did was answer a few things, but mostly nodded. She asked him the weirdest question about the most random things. How this girl could go on talking about the oddest subjects was beyond him. They finally arrived at her house.

""Thank you," she said, taking the flowers with a kiss on the cheek, "for the book and rose."

Tezuka was awestruck by the sudden occurrence, but he didn't let it faze him. He figured that it happened often with Kira. She often gave her friends a kiss on the cheek when they got her something. "You're welcome. Good night."

Kira watched him as he walked down the street it wasn't until he turned the corner did she decided to enter her house. She realized what she had done and her heart raced, she felt as though she was on cloud nine. The girl walked up to her room and dug through her pocket she turned the cell on. There were 10 messages that were from Suzuru. She called her former captain back, explaining that she was on a study date with Tezuka.

"YOU WENT ON A DATE WITH TEZUKA!?" Exclaimed Suzuru after several attempts to call Kira, to her unfortunate luck Kira never bothered to turn on her phone till after the study date had ended.

"Yeah," Kira said uneasily. "Why?"

"Details! What did you two do-" Kira looked at her cell as the call dropped.

"Oh, it's out of batteries," she mumbled, connecting it to her charger. The celled vibrated and she didn't really want to pick it up, so she left it vibrating on her desk. She didn't really want to deal with Suzuru's gossip habits anyways. Today had been a really…off day. She lay on her bed, closing her eyes, her head a bit confused about the events that had happened earlier in the day.

She smiled to herself, touching her lips with her two fingers of her right hand.

She was on cloud nine.

-Tennis crew-

"Did you get the pictures, Fujiko?" Eiji asked, looking at Fuji's digital camera along with all the other regulars. Everyone was drooling at the picture where Kira was kissing Tezuka on the cheek.

"Great job, Fuji. Finally the captain has a girl—"Momo exclaimed before bending down to tie his shoe. The regulars were ahead of him. He noticed a shadow from behind him. He stood up ready to apologize for stopping in the middle of the side walk but 'sorry' didn't come out of his mouth. "Buchou?"

The regulars turned around to see what had taken their fellow team member so long to catch up. Their faces turned pale when the say the brunette with his glasses firmly in place. His dark eyes staring at them with a mixture of disbelief and frustration.

"What are you doing here?" The regulars turned around, seeing their captain, arms crossed and glaring at them. "What's that?"

"We can explain…" They moaned, pointing to the spot where Fuji and Inui had been, but they had vanished. They glanced behind them, seeing Inui and Fuji (with his smile) running home.

"See you at school! Bye," Fuji hollered with a bag on his back. His jacket highly resembled the one that the man who bumped into Kira had worn. On Fuji's head was a hat like that of the man who gave Tezuka the rose, but in his hand was a silver small digital camera. The regulars followed suit and began to run off.

Tezuka sighed, walking back to his house; he would deal with them on Monday during morning practice.

10.00 (US)

5.00(US)


	4. Chapter 4

**OriginalCrazian:** So how'd you like my last chapter? Yeah I wrote a lot in that one, sorry. And I'm sorry for the mistakes in it to. I'll fix them. But anyways I have nothing to rant on about today. Kira and Tezuka are weird people to couple, don't you think? Oh well, they're fun and cute at least that's what I think…

**Disclaimer:** Oi, I could only dream to have it taken away, just imagine in real life when I can't fly over to his house and take it…. yep no way do I own POT...

**Chapter 4**

**One Word.**

* * *

The regulars looked that the revised version of the girls' team, and both the guys' and girls' team knew that without their 'killer' on board, the girls would lose in the Kantou tournament. For one thing the new regular was arrogant, with 'barely any skills worth noting,' as said by Inui. Suzuru looked at the girl uneasily as Coach Ryuzaki noted the same thing. The girls will surely lose.

"Are all the girls really…this bad?" the coach mumbled, as Suzuru nodded in shame.

"She's the best who had been willing to do work," Suzuru couldn't stand it. The new regular was just awful compared to the former ace. It would take a miracle for them to win, "Maybe if we dressed Arai up in a skirt and put him in make up, he'll pass for a girl."

Ryuuzaki shudder at the image of the boy in a skirt prancing around like a girl, "Let's not, he's been through enough hasn't he? And the only one who'd make a good girl would probably be Echizen…or Fuji."

"I am not dressing like a girl," Ryoma stated sharply. "Anyways we have the tournament the same day. Why not just bring Niwa-sempai back."

Suzuru sighed, "She's too arrogant to play, and she won't come back unless I beg her too. And I will not beg."

"You know you've always been proud," Suzuru looked over at the coach frowning.

"If I was, it wouldn't matter. You, Tezuka and I agreed she couldn't come back until the inter-rank tournaments; anyways, I wasn't the one who wanted her off the team. I just wanted to teach her a lesson, that's all," she retorted, not wanting to admit that she would give almost anything to have Kira back.

"Niwa had been breaking the rules, not attending practice on time, distracting other clubs by showing off and failing two of her classes. This means she has to give up her spot on the team. It is a school rule," Ryuuzaki replied coolly as Tezuka began to dismiss his team from practice.

"She had a seventy-four percent in both of her classes," Suzuru corrected as she watched the girls sluggishly drag their feet around the courts. The sight of her regulars' misery in their knowledge that they would lose made her cringe. She wanted Kira back but she wasn't going to beg. She hoped that Ryuzaki would just over look Kira's bad habits and bring the girl back. But knowing Ryuzaki, that would not happen.

"That wasn't part of the deal," Ryuzaki replied, blowing the whistle to dismiss the after-school practice.

-Detention-

Kira slumped over aloofly with a pen protruding her frown; once again she was in detention. What did she ever do to be treated like such a delinquent? Sure she did sleep during math, history, Japanese, and occasionally English. Yes she did talk a lot, got into verbal fights and had a small tendency to swear in class. But _come on_ she's a fourteen-year-old girl listening to stuff she already knew and that was in itself, was boring, EXTREMELY boring, especially when Kira had the attention span of a goldfish (approximately three seconds.). Anyways, why did she even had detention on Tuesday? She didn't remember getting one.

A ruler slammed onto her desk nearly killed her—literally—causing her to choke on the pen in her mouth. After gagging a bit, she glared at the tutor that had been assigned to her.

"Pay attention, Niwa."

"I might if you would shut up."

"Finish problem three."

"How about…not," Kira snapped. Why did she have to go to a blasted substitute tutor? She would do well in class…if she cared to. It was just that she didn't care. Not much anymore at least, back then when she was on the tennis team, she had to make sure her grades were at least an eighty-five or higher to stay on the team. Now that she's off, there wasn't really a need to get the good grades. Kira always thought of grades were insignificant and really how the heck would it matter if she bombed her test and whatnot. If she knew the stuff, she shouldn't have to write it down right? Right. For all she cared, she was just in school to kill time.

"Answer it, Niwa," the tutor growled. He wore think-rimmed round glasses that often glared in the light. His hair was practically glued to the side, making him look like he screamed of geek. And that was how Kira, with her closed rude mind, classified him.

Kira always had a nasty habit of judging people, classifying them, and looking down on them. She was of course, like most teens, were unaware of how arrogant she was.

"It's thirty-two," She said exasperatedly, solving the algebra problem.

"Correct," he said, sighing. Kira stared at the boy, who was sweating, which was odd, considering it was the middle of spring and the classroom was rather cold. He blushed as he approached her to take away the test as her hand brushed against his.

_A fan-boy_, she thought critically, _Hey… I could…_

She knew that what she was plotting was wrong. Then again, she was bored. What was so wrong with having some fun in detention? So she did the fun, wrong thing.

She gently grabbed her tutor's hand, staring intently into his eyes. He shivered at her touch.

His voice ran dry, stuttering, "N-Niwa, w-what are y-y-you d-doing?" He stared at first into her eyes then slowly they shifted to her wet pink lips, they began moving and his heart began to race.

"Do you hate me?" She asked. He looked over at her watery eyes as she continued, "Have I been so awful that I have to be treated like a juvenile?" His face turned red, Kira looked like a trapped princess, his to save. No one else's but his alone.

"N-no, n-not at all."

She drew his face closer to hers, in a sweet voice she whispered, "So why? Why am I here?"

It hit him, this was his chance to kiss 'Kira the Ace'. He closed his eyes ready for her lips to touch his.

"Ahem," grunted someone at the door, Kira looked over and smirked at the two who stood in the doorway.

"Hi Suzuru and Tezuka," She sat back down pushing her tutor away with a smile. Their dark, manipulative, lying, arrogant, scheming friend, Kira sat there, suppressing a laugh.

"What are you doing, Niwa?" Suzuru asked, but she knew it had something to do with Kira's famous sadistic sense of fun.

"Nothing, I'm just having some fun in detention that's all." This was no shock, as Kira picked up her black bag, swinging it over her back as she made her way through the two, she winked at her tutor from door. "Detention's done, see ya around, hot stuff."

That left the air tense and awkward, as Tezuka followed Kira's example picking up some homework he had left behind and left the room.

"Whatever Kira said to you, don't listen." Suzuru said, disrupting the silence. "I've been friends with Kira a long time, and she was just toying with you. Don't get your hopes up."

The tutor nodded, knowing all to well that what seemed like a dream… and was just that.

-Home-

Pok-pok-pok.

Kira hit the ball countless against the wall, beads of sweat covered her face, running back and forth trying to keep her tennis skills strong even though she was off of the team. If she didn't have time for tennis she'd make time.

Pok-pok-pok

Kira hit the ball countless against the wall, beads of sweat covered her face, running back and forth trying to keep her tennis skills strong even though she was off of the team. If she didn't have time for tennis, she'd make time.

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

The racket clattered upon the cement as the tennis ball rolled away. Kira gritted her teeth holding onto her right arm that began to cramp up. Tennis, her love, her passion, was taken away. She picked up the racket again, took out another ball and continued regardless of the pain she'd play even if her ribs were broken that was how much she enjoyed it.

Pok-pok-pok

"If you continue, you'll ruin your arm."

The racket clattered on the cement as the tennis ball rolled away. Kira gritted her teeth, holding onto her right arm that began to cramp up. Tennis, her love, her passion, was taken away. She picked up the racket again, took out another ball and continued regardless of the pain. She'd play even if her ribs were broken. That was how much she enjoyed it.

Pok-pok-pok

"If you continue, you'll damage your arm."

The rhythm of the ball stopped with small 'poks' of which were created by the ball bouncing away. Kira looked behind her. She narrowed her eyes. Tezuka. He stood by the side door slowly as he began to walk towards her. "Sora told me you were back here. You left your notebook behind."

She felt no need to hide her true self from him. He already knew her nasty rude hateful side before she began contemplating the complexities of life.

"Would it matter?" She asked, picking up the balls and putting them away before fully turning her attention to the classmate who now stood behind her, watching, she walked over to take the notebook away. "Thanks."

"You wouldn't be able to play tennis."

"Well reason two of why I started tennis was because I couldn't have the spot in the first place. You know what they always say, 'You always want what you can't have,'" she shrugged carelessly. "Or something along the lines."

"So you don't want your position on the team back?" He asked.

"If they want me back." Kira wondered why Tezuka asked that. She hated when people would get her hopes up just to crush it.

He looked over to her eyes, his eyes piercing into her mind. "In the inter-rank tournament, you can get your spot back."

She stepped backward, confused about the feelings stirring inside her when Tezuka looked into her eyes, or perhaps it was bitterness towards Suzuru about not telling her about the choices she had? Either way, she couldn't decipher between relief or annoyance. Still, she didn't let her image faze; mentally she was stooped. Physically she was the same: cold. Why would he tell her that? Did he want her to play tennis again? Wasn't he the one who had gotten her kicked off? Kira was confused. She quickly regain her composure.

"What were you doing to your tutor anyways?" Tezuka asked. It wasn't like him to ask her about her personal life.

"Oh that," She spat, loosely putting her hands behind her head, "I was just playing around that was all. It's nothing to be jealous about, hot stuff."

"…" She looked at Tezuka who just simply glared at her.

"You seriously don't want me to seduce you too, do you?"

"No." His 'no' was stern as it was much expected from him. Kira frowned. Tezuka was no fun to mess with since he knew her to well. He wasn't dumb like the other guys and in actuality, Kira held him at a higher standard than that of her fan boys. He had her respects as a captain, and thus he was no typical toy.

She turned her heels on him. "Hey Tezuka-kun, what are you doing here anyways? There has to be a better reason as to why you're here."

"Ojii-san and Niwa-san-"

"No need to explain more." Kira replied in an 'I should've guessed' matter. She paced around, annoyed that the spot where the tennis ball hit left a scratch, trying to ignore the fact that Tezuka had been observing her the whole time.

"You seemed to be like an aggressive baseliner." Tezuka commented at how she was playing earlier, "Aren't you an all-rounder?"

"I am," She said, "I was just practicing."

"You're doing no favors for your arm."

""That's if I try too hard. Anyways, that's the only I can learn to return heavy balls. Since I am playing by myself against myself I can't really learn how to return the balls any other way," Kira replied. "Hey Tezuka-kun, why do you play tennis?"

He stared at her then stated as though it was second nature to him, "Because tennis is all I have."

"Why?" She had to know what made her so different from Tezuka, considering they both started to play for Seigaku for around the same time. What made her forget why she loved the sport?

"… Is there a way to describe why I love something?" He asked bluntly.

Kira stared at him, at a loss for words. Did love need a reason?

Love, when you love something, you didn't have to have a reason…right?

Kira didn't know. That was the best answer she had received. When she asked Suzuru it was because of how she could earn scholarships with her talent. She asked Fuji, but they ended up discussing the topic of how she didn't know why she played. Oishi said something about how healthy it was. Eiji said it was fun… then he glomped her. Takashi replied that he enjoyed playing with his friends. Echizen ignored her, until she stole his Ponta, then he said something being "it was just something that ended up happening." Momo did so to be with friends that and it was fun. Kaidoh just hissed at her. She didn't ask the girls' team due to the fact it was mainly because of the boys that they played.

.

"Oh," was all she managed before the awkward silence emerged. Still she didn't understand the concept, to her the reason was both logical and illogical.

"Oh" was all she managed before the awkward silence emerged. She still didn't understand the concept. To her, the reason was both logical and illogical.

Tezuka stared at his long-time classmate, pondering on why she was still stump on the fact that he love tennis for all that it was. What was it that shocked her? Soon the silence itself began to make Tezuka a bit uncomfortable.

"That book," He began—unsure of how to start a conversation—but he did catch her attention.

"Did you like it?"

She nodded with a smile. "It was brilliant, thank you."

A smile of relief tugged on his lips again but he didn't show. He was filled with relief that the quietness had dissipated when they—meaning Kira—began talking about the book. He listen to her all night. At first it was about the book, and then it went into normal things that happened around school, things that he really didn't care about, but he listened to anyways.

"Tezuka, you're too perfect, you know that?" He looked at her curiously.

"Why?"

"You have great grades, you're the tennis CAPTAIN! You never get into trouble. Teachers love you, students envy and admire you. I'm so jealous," she sighed. "I swear all the teachers hate me."

"They admire you too," he commented. He noticed the look in her eyes as he said that. They were filled with annoyance, tiredness, and a slight sadness.

"They respect you." She looked down at her racket that was still in her right hand the whole time. "They make me feel low. I know the things that I do aren't nice. But it feels as though they fear me rather than respect me. It's uncomfortable, you know? I don't really trust them that much. I can't even look at Suzuru without the doubt that she treats me for what I am. She's afraid of me too. You're different. I can trust you. The only word to describe you really is perfection."

Tezuka didn't know weather to take it as a compliment like most or take it offensive considering it did come from Kira, she answered him as though she had read his mind, "It's not a compliment. Being 'perfect' makes you look like some kind of robot. But then again you can say to an extent it is a compliment. I trust you for one thing," Kira explained, "It takes a lot for me to trust someone, which kind a makes you more of perfect person rather than a normal person."

Tezuka didn't know whether to take it as a compliment or offensively, considering it did come from Kira. She answered him as though she had read his mind. "It's not a compliment. Being 'perfect' makes you look like some kind of robot. But then again you can say to an extent it is a compliment. I trust you for one thing," Kira explained. "It takes a lot for me to trust someone, which kind a makes you more of perfect person rather than a normal person."

Tezuka glared at her for a small bit, probably because she had called him a robot. But then again he did act like one and she was just telling the truth in an odd, rude manner. All Kira did was justify herself.

"Well if it makes you feel better, what word would you use to describe me? Be completely honest," she sighed, feeling bad that she had taken out her frustrations on the only person who listened. It was really the first time she felt guilty for insulting someone.

Tezuka ponder on the thought. He applied pressure to his temples, before giving her his word. His completely and totally honest word.

"Arrogant."


	5. Chapter 5

**OriginalCrazian:** so… It's done! well this chapter that is! I'm so sorry I haven't updated, I've been busy with finals! . So please forgive me! I'm truly sorry for the wait and I wanted to get this out for Christmas. You'll hate me at the end of this chapter though. DON'T READ AHEAD! If you do you'd probably won't get it.

**Disclaimer:**I don't own Prince of tennis.

* * *

**Help Me Part 1.**

Kira woke up. She hated waking up, she hated Spring, but above all she hated Tezuka. She hated for what he told her. She wasn't arrogant! She was just… okay, she was arrogant. But now she was aware of it, the guilt on her insides made her feel awful. So awful she didn't want to leave her room.

"OH MY GOD I AM SUCH AN EMO KID!" Kira woke up. She hated waking up, she hated Spring, but above all she hated Tezuka. She hated for what he told her. She wasn't arrogant! She was just… okay, she was arrogant. But now she was aware of it, the guilt on her insides made her feel awful. So awful she didn't want to leave her room.Why did it affect her so much? She often heard it from teachers and other students but why when Tezuka said it, that it bothered her this much? Maybe it was because Tezuka wasn't the type to point out errors in other people or maybe she has become too soft? Kira didn't even understand why she was so upset.

She had pretended to be sick today. Earlier it had began raining and Kira hated rain as much as she hated spring or waking up. On top of that, she was sick with herself, both with her physical and mental self. Not at all a good morning to start the day. Her mind kept reliving that moment when she was first called 'arrogant'. She fumed, cursing the rain, the season, the morning, the time, her body, her health. She cursed everything that came to mind, and yes—that included Tezuka many times.

"Oh, it's so boring being home alone," Kira said as she began to calm down, sitting on her window bench with a blanket wrapped around her. She took a solemn moment to just enjoy thinking. She analyzed the problem, found the constants, the dependent variables and created variety of hypotheses of which all included different reactions for different personalities. It was always a wonder to many why she had been slowly failing science when it had been one of the two subjects she excelled at before. The clacking of the rain on the roof tiles occasionally disturbed her train of thought. Regardless, she reached a conclusion, one that she did not like at all.

-The Next Day-

Rain again. Oh, how Kira despised the rain. If it wasn't for her brother, she would not attend school, let alone stand in front of the Tezuka household. Even then she debated on whether or not to go through with her plan.

No. Yes. No, Kira couldn't make up her mind and her constant debating with herself just have her a large headache.

She sighed heavily as she turned away, ready to leave until she heard the door open. She looked back. Standing in the door way was Tezuka.

"Uh…" For the first time in a long time, Kira was at lost for words. Feeling extremely dumb, she quickly began walking at a fast pace to school, cursing herself with every step of the way. Her face bright red could be seen through the hazy fog.

Tezuka walked behind her, confused about what she was at his house. Girls were weird enough, shouldn't they be thinking of other things instead of dating? Was this why Kira was weird around him lately, because she liked him? By the way she acted around him, she was the same if not ruder, which gave him a rather different impression. That was a stupid thought, but he had something to ask her himself.

"Niwa-san," He began only to see an odd twitch emit from the girl.

"You don't have to add a 'san,'" Kira replied. "Kira is just fine."

She didn't bother looking back, but she still held Tezuka's attention. She had made up her mind she had to ask him now. "Hey Tezuka-kun?"

There was a long paused. Kira began second-guessing herself again but she persevered.

"Can you teach me not to be arrogant?" She choked on her own words. Tezuka noticed the annoyance in her voice, but why in the world would she ask him to do such a task?

"I'm not sure how to-"

"I want people to like me. I don't want to be like this anymore," Kira replied still not looking at him they stopped at the corner as the truck pass. Her voice was uncomfortable, unsure and insecure. "I really just... want to change."

Kira held onto her forearms as a cold breeze blew her way. She hated spring, she hated wearing a skirt in spring. She hated wind because it messed up her hair.

"I don't think changing the way you act will change how you feel about yourself," Tezuka sighed. Such a ridiculous task couldn't be done.

"Does it matter?" Kira turned around to him. "I don't want to be left out of things anymore." She was smiling. Tezuka was confused as to why she would smile at a time when she sounded serious.

"I guess not," he replied, unsure how to react. They crossed the streets.

"So you'll do it?" Kira asked. Her voice was now lively and hopeful. However, Tezuka looked at her uneasily but it didn't show. He wasn't going to let emotion cross his face, but still he couldn't say no. Not after she regain some of her former self.

"I'll try."

"Really?" She jumped in glee, turning around she hugged him, catching the captain completely off guard, "Thank you. You have no idea of how much it means to me."

Tezuka's face slightly flustered, his mind too fumbled to control any of his facial expressions. No one had ever hugged him for the exception of his mother and his late grandmother. He didn't understand how to react. And to be truthful, he couldn't breathe. Kira noticed his body getting tense. She realized he couldn't breathe either. "Oh, I'm so sorry Tezuka-kun. Are you alright?"

He nodded, still feeling a bit of heat on his cheeks. He coughed slightly. "There is something I need to ask you. About English class, you see…"

-After school-

"Eh? It's Kira-chan!" Eiji exclaimed at lunch, hugging the girl. She smiled, returning the hug, and greeted the other that sat at the table. "Has anyone seen Tezuka-kun?"

The members looked at each other then at Kira. "He must be in the locker room or talking to—"

Kira squealed noticing the second year high school student, she ran and jumped on him, "Katsu!"

"UWAH!" He panicked, catching the falling girl on instinct. "What the— Niwa! What do you think you're doing? You could've seriously hurt yourself."

Katsu recently began doing community service by becoming the manager of the boys' tennis team, in hopes, like any other honor students with incredibly low wages, that it will help in getting a scholarship.

He put her down. "Ah, but I didn't, did I? I knew that you would've caught me. It was a five percent chance you'd catch me of course."

"That's not a good chance to take!" Katsu snapped. He never liked the girl's recklessness. He was rather into more refined girls. "I could've missed and you could've died."

"You know I only need a five percent chance to take anything on," She smirked, confidence filling her smirk.

"Actually, it was a ninety percent chance of him catching you," Inui pointed out.

"Thank you Inui," Kira smiled. "See, now why would you let a cute girl like me fall?"

"Arrogant as usual, aren't you, Niwa?" Katsu laughed as her smirked turned to a frown. "Anyways I've seen cuter. You're still too young, have too flat of a chest and you're too loud."

"I am not arrogant!" She pouted, pushing him away as he continued laughing. "You're so freaking rude you know that? A stupid rude pervert who totally has no sex life and can't get a single date in his life."

"HEY! I DO HAVE A SEX LIFE!" He shouted. All the girls who had began to come out of the locker rooms turned had red faces. He sighed. "Anyways, let's be realistic Kira, you not being arrogant and becoming ladylike is like a talking fish. It's not going happen."

She turned around jabbing a finger in his chest, "You know what? I bet you ¥11353.96(1) that I'll turn into a good nature, non-arrogant person in... in two weeks!"

"WHAT?!" Suzuru asked over hearing the bet.

"Better yet, I bet you ¥22707.93(2) that you can't turn into a proper polite lady, and pull it off at the banquet!" Katsu smirked. He always had a nose for these things. "Better yet, I bet you ¥22707.93(2) that you can't turn into a proper polite lady, and pull it off at the banquet!" Katsu smirked. He always had a nose for these things.

"Banquet? What banquet?" Kira asked, confused on what he was talking about.

"Oh that's right, you're no longer on the tennis team. And had no way of knowing about the banquet," he teased, knowing her instant reaction.

"Do you want a black eye?" She snapped annoyed, shaking her fist.

"Tenjho High is hosting the tennis banquet for all the tennis teams where all the scouts from America and German look out for new tennis members," he nodded smugly, tapping her nose in order annoy her even more. Kira, in turn, bit his finger. "OUCH!!"

She stuck her tongue out, accepting the challenge. "You got your self a deal, poor boy, I'll go to this banquet as a 'proper lady' and pull it off. And you pay me ¥22707.93(3)! If I fail, not only will I pay you ¥22707.93 but I'll even show you my new tennis move."

"According to my data there ninety-five percent chance of Kira losing the bet," Inui stated.

"YOU GOT YOURSELF A DEAL, NIWA!" He announced to the entire world, shaking her hand.

At that moment, Tezuka came out of the locker room wondering what had happened between the high school junior and Kira. He didn't get a very good impression from the situation at all, considering Katsu was the cousin of Fuji Shunsuke. That fact alone did not give him a very good feeling while seeing that annoying smile on his face. As if it wasn't enough to have Fuji plan something. Katsu was the influence of Fuji himself.

"Ah, Tezuka-kun, are you ready to go?" Kira asked, spying her friend. He nodded as Eiji asked why and where they were going; her response was something he wished he never heard. She replied with a large grin. "Tezuka-kun and I have a little date to go on."

"DATE!?"

"Let's go, Tezuka-kun," she said in teasing manner as they began to walk away from the school. Like most tennis teams, Oishi, Eiji, Momo, Inui, Kaidoh, Kawamaru, and Fuji were curious to find out what was happening between the two. And thus they followed the two in completely obvious secrecy.

"They're following us again," Kira replied, looking back. Whenever she'd did so, the tennis regulars would try hiding in a bush, behind a tree, or something along those lines. Tezuka looked down at her, sighing. "If you just said it was a tutoring session instead of a 'date' they'd leave us alone."

"But it's no fun that way now is it?" Kira asked, her arrogance rising again.

"You're being arrogant again. You let your guard down too often, and you should always expect the unexpected, not accept it as it comes as a minor threat. Minor threats can always grow into larger ones," Tezuka replied as they turned the corner.

_Great, it's like having Mr. Miyagi from the Karate Kid. I wonder if Tezuka knows any moves,_ Kira imagined her partner practicing karate and trying to catch a fly with chopstick while ignoring the one in reality and nodding to every word he said.

"Hey Tezuka, how exactly did you managing to have your English grade drop?" She asked once they stopped.

"With the Kantou Tournament and tennis practice I haven't been able to study for many of my test and English is a very difficult language to learn," he explained.

"But you're Tezuka. You're supposed to be perfect in everything," Kira said once reached her house, she noticed a variety of heads through the windows. "Oh Sora's friends are over again, we should probably go to my room."

He nodded. "I'm not perfect; I have my fair share of troubles too. English may come easy to you, but it's really difficult for me. That's why I asked you to help me."

"Why am I here anyway? Buchou's love life is none of my business," Ryoma groaned.

"Shush, chibi. Did she say go to her room?" Kikumaru asked; they were just hiding behind Kira's neighbor's car. The group looked around for a way to spy on the two. Though being guys, ideas floated in their heads and they all began to blush.

"He wouldn't do anything, I know it." Oishi defended, his face completely red, "He's Tezuka after all."

"N-n-no, of course he wouldn't do anything," Eiji said his face red as his hair.

"Wait, where's Inui-sempai?" Momo asked, noticing a missing player. Everyone looked over to where the data collector once stood then looked around.

"Saa, isn't that Inui in the tree?" Fuji asked pointing at the tree just outside Kira's bedroom. Inui was climbing the tree. Once he had reach the right branch, he sat cross-legged in camouflage (which none of the other players notice that he changed into) holding his notebook. His glasses gleamed darkly.

_Finally, some sufficient reliable data on Tezuka Kunimitsu,_ He thought as he scribbled every detail ferociously into the green notebook.

"Ah, Oishi, Inui's a stalker!" Eiji whined, thinking of all the possible times Inui could've been following them.

"Eiji, Oishi, Kawamaru, are you going to stand there?" Momo asked in the midst of climbing a tree with Fuji, Ryoma, and Kaidoh already sitting up there. Well, Kaidoh and Ryoma really didn't have a choice in the matter, being blackmailed by Fuji and all.

"I'm not sure about this—" Oishi and Kawamaru began, but were cut off by the running Eiji, "C'mon, Taka-chan, Oishi! Maybe Tezuka-Buchou finally got a girlfriend!"

Oishi and Kawamaru sighed as they too, climbed the tree.

* * *

**1) 100.00 **

**2) Katsu's High school. It's not real; at least I don't believe it is. **

**3) 200.00 **

**OriginalCrazian: **I'm super sorry! It's a slight cliff hanger (sort of) cause… It's a two part chapter! I will try to bring in the second half as soon as possible. Oh by the way I was wondering does anyone want to be my Beta Reader. If you haven't notice I completely suck at grammar, spelling, and well everything. :( With that I leave you!

edit

I want to thankyou mysticLedgend11 for putting up with me and helping me re(x30)edit this story. And for putting up with my exclamation mark habit. -- I will learn!


	6. Chapter 6

**OriginalCrazian:** Poke …Poke...OMG I'm back. Oh there will be some switch of languages, no not meaning the use of Romaji but the way characters talk. So this is **English!**

**Disclaimer:** I'm sorry I'm too lazy to Own POT.

**Help me part 2**

"Goodness gracios, men! Are you alright?" Kira asked frantically as she ran out onto the field with Tezuka right behind her. Regardless if they shown it or not, they were both worried.

"What are you doing here?" Tezuka demanded from the pile of shuddering boys. They knew they were caught and one of them could've sprained something vital. Ryoma looked at the rest of the group and God only knew how many laps their captain would make them run now…not to mention his tennis gear could be crushed under the weight of the boys above him.

"Well, you see..."Eiji began to explain.

-Earlier in Kira's room.-

"**I often speak ill of Tomo**," Kira read from her English book, before looking up to Tezuka. "So what does that mean in English?"

"You often bad mouth Tomo," Tezuka looked at his book, slightly confused with the switch of names between his text book and the name that Kira had spoken, "It doesn't say Tomo, the book says Nancy..."Kira smiled back at him and nodded.

"Good job, Tezuka-kun! You paid attention! I didn't like the name Nancy so I used an Azumanga Dioh (1) reference." She smiled, holding up her copy of the manga. He stared at her for a moment, then sighed. Why was he surprised that she used a manga to teach him? He stopped his musing when Kira stood up and walked toward him before continuing the lesson as she sat down beside him.

"Okay, now answer me in English; we'll start with something simple." Kira turn a page before asking the question. "What is your name?"

"**My name is Tezuka Kunimitsu**," he replied in English, and then frowned at her when Kira couldn't suppress her giggles.

"I'm sorry, but your accent's really thick and it's a little weird hearing your voice in English," she explained, still giggling. "But in English, you often say your first name followed by your last name, as opposed to here."

"Can we continue?" He needed to concentrate on studying.

"When were you born?" She queried, all traces of her giggles nowhere to be found. Frustration ferried in his brow as he pondered what had caused this turnaround, then shrugged and gave the answer. If she suddenly turned serious, who was he to argue against such good fortune?

"**I was born on October seventh**."

The session went on like that each reply became longer and he began to stumble and pause to find a word, occasionally mispronouncing some, but Kira always managed to correct them..

-With the Others-

"This is almost as boring as the time at the café," Momo sighed, "and this time we can't interfere."

"Nya, they're a boring couple, Oishi! I'm hungry," Eiji complained.

"Shhh! Eiji, they'll hear us."

"Nya, Fujiko where are you going?" Eiji asked as Fuji, thirty minutes into their "investigation," began to climb down. He just smiled. "I'm going out to buy you a bento. There was a convenience store close by here."

Eiji looked weary at his best friend's smile, but he couldn't help but wonder what exactly lurked behind that devious brain after all; Fuji wasn't called a sadist just for fun.

"Ne, Eiji, look!" Momo said, pointing at the window. "What are they doing?"

"Nya, why are you asking me? Inui's having a blast writing everything down," Eiji whined.

"'Cause, you have the best eyes," Momo teased.

-Kira's room-

"Alright, that's enough English for today, don't cha think," she asked. He nodded. They had done a lot according for a day's work; they had began with translations, spelling, grammar, and ended with pronunciation. It had only taken one hour, which wasn't unusual for him. His English class often needed to reiterate the most basic concepts, and it even bored him. He had to admit though, Kira wasn't the best tutor, but she definitely knew the English language well enough to give him a decent session. He sighed. Now it was his turn to teach Kira to be…polite…

"To start off, you shouldn't slump like that," Tezuka stated as Kira glared at him and straightened her back before sitting straight. She crossed her arms in annoyance.

"Tezuka, this is so uncomfortable." She glared more fiercely at his monotonous face.

"It is also improper for a woman to whine," he sighed. Kira glared at the boy as he sat across from her.

"It's not polite to stare either," he sighed, running his fingers through his hair in exasperation. " Oh where's the bathroom?"

"It's over there." She pointed to the door a few feet to the right, next to her walk-in closet. Tezuka stood up and walked into the bathroom. She just sat and watched him leave. As the door shut, she sighed and got up from her chair. Kira walked into the closet and shut the door behind her, changing she hated. She planned on burning her ugly green sailor girl outfit the moment school was out. She changed into some jeans and a black shirt with a white abstract design. She walked outside to find Tezuka sitting down and Sora walking in with a plate of tea and cookies.

"Ne, Sora, is that... strawberry flavored tea?" she asked, her eyes gleaming hopefully. Dear Lord, did she love her strawberries, whether it was the fruit or flavored Ponta. she need owned everything strawberry, from the food down to perfume to the air fresheners she owned it. And yes even pajamas with strawberry designs. "Well is it, is it?"

Tezuka observed her odd behavior and he noted that she needed help in asking for things as well. He couldn't help but give her a critical look. She was awfully rude to people and she was manipulative, she often tricked people. She was loud, annoying at points and ...did this girl have any dignity at all? Tezuka let out a heavy sigh; he had his work cut out for him.

Kira sighed as Sora left the room after putting the tea on the table. To her dismay, it was not strawberry-flavored, nor were the cookies.

"This would be is fine," Tezuka said as he motioned to the tea. "Now; pour the tea into the teacup. You should know how to pour tea with elegance."

He tried his best to remember all the things his mother did. She was the one, after all, and who had taught him his manners. He noticed she had an annoyed look in her eyes as she poured the tea roughly. Her eyes had this annoyed look, as if she assumed that the exercise itself was meaningless. Tezuka didn't understand why but this annoyed him equally as much Tezuka didn't understand why but this annoyed him equally as much.

"It's done," she said when she had placed the teapot down with a clink, her voice was so sure of itself she couldn't help but add on, "Bet cha didn't expect that now, did ya?"

Tezuka looked at the tea then reenacted the movements in his mind, he frowned. "Actually your right, I expected better. That was awful. There wasn't any grace at all. You need to be able to pour it like so."

Tezuka gently took the pot and quietly poured it into Kira's cup, not spilling a single drop. Kira stared at his hands as he poured the tea slowly moving towards his face. His eyes weren't at all cold or dead like they usually were. They were focused and calm, she looked at the cup of tea in amazement as Tezuka gracefully placed the pot on the table, no sound at all.

"I see," she said as Tezuka drank tea. "Would you like another cup?"

He nodded and, for that moment, it didn't seem like the whole operation was totally pointless, until Kira began pouring. Her hands weren't as shaky as before but she still lacked elegance and this time Kira noticed something as well. She placed the teapot down quietly and looked behind him at the window.

"What's that?" she asked Tezuka and he stood up and turned to look out the window. He noticed the abnormal amount of shaking in the tree next to the window. He went over to take a closer look with Kira behind him. The motion suddenly stopped and then there was a loud 'snap'.

"Hey, Fuji's here," Eiji announced as the other member's rushed over to cover Eiji's mouth, causing the branch to move. Fuji stood below them holding a plastic bag full of bentos.

"I'm afraid I can't carry anything up," he said with a small frown. Eiji looked down sadly, as an idea emerged in his head. "O'chibi can get it!"

Ryoma looked at his senpai critically. He was perfectly fine where he was and he didn't want to go down to get food. His stomach began to growl, maybe it was in his favor just to go home and eat… But knowing his teammates would throw a fit if he left them. So without a fuss he attempted to get down. But as to how crowded the branch was, it caused the unbalanced tree to shake even more. Momo looked over to the window, and there they were. Their captain staring, standing next to Kira.

"SHH! They're watching us," he snapped. Everyone froze with Ryoma holding on to the branch. He noticed a black cat in the tree and it jumped on to the branch. There was a loud snap.

Everyone panicked as they fell from the tree. Everyone was thankful that the branch wasn't very high and that Ryoma's tennis supplies broke their fall… Well everyone except Ryoma of course. He was annoyed as Fuji looked at them with worried look. "Are you alright?"

Now in Kira's yard...

"And so that's why we were in your tree," Eiji finished nervously.

Sora said that the most serious injury would be a few bruises. He waved and walked into the house to prepare dinner.

"Thanks, Sora-niichan." Kira stated as the door closed, and then turning away from the door her smile faded into a stern glare. "What the heck was going through your minds when you climbed that tree!? You could've been killed!" She began yelling at the boys. Tezuka nodded his agreement and stepped forward.

"Tomorrow, everyone is to run fifty laps," Tezuka ordered, glaring down at them as they squirmed. "Now all of you, go home!"

They all sighed and then turned around and walked from Kira's yard in silence.

Tezuka and Kira watched them go before turning to go inside again and continue their lesson. The two walked inside, up to her and continued their lesson, both hoping that the rest of the hour wouldn't be as… eventful. They got their wish as the rest involved Kira trying to walk with books on her head which painfully resulted in them falling on her foot. Tezuka couldn't help but shake his head as he disapproved of how unbalanced she was. By her playing style Tezuka would have never have guess that she was this graceless.

-Tutoring done-

When Tezuka had finally left, Kira collapsed on her bed. She had no idea that it would be that exhausting to learn how to be a lady, especially being taught by Tezuka. Something in her gut just told her not to defy the boy or something awful would happen. It felt as though a monster would raise from it's sleep just to harass her if she dare to even say, 'No! I won't do it.' And that was something that even she would not dare to find out. Her eyes began to drop. For now she just wanted to sleep. She was so tired...

"KIRA! DINNER'S READY!"

She jerked her eyes open with a tired grin. "Okay, perhaps dinner first and then some sleep," she thought as she continued the rest of her long day, she did have her priorities!

-Morning-

"I wonder if anyone would mind if I play on the school's tennis courts this morning. Considering it's pretty early… And technically I am a student… so that doesn't mean I'm trespassing right?" Kira thought aloud, carrying some tennis supplies as she walked towards the school at five that warm morning. She would've stayed at home to play but Sora and her father had yelled about the annoyance of the tennis balls against the walls, much like her on normal days, they weren't at all morning people. The street courts weren't open yet, so she wouldn't be able to play against other people. She sighed heavily hoping there would be some nut at the school's courts to play against her. She'd kill to have a good match. She might even play the whole way through. To her dismay, once she had arrived onto the school grounds, the school's courts were locked. She sunk down to her knees in total exasperation. Of course the tennis court wouldn't be open three hours before the school started. She felt stupid for getting her hopes up. She sat against the fence and watched people pass by.

"Maybe it'll be a good idea to change into my uniform," she thought aloud. Waking up early always threw Kira off completely. She couldn't think straight or have any common sense so early. She looked at her watch; an hour had passed. Kira stood up, brushing off any bit of gravel that could've gotten caught on her shorts and walked over to the closest public court. Her cap over her eyes, she could've been easily be mistaken for a boy with her hair tucked under her cap.

She grinned as she saw another player, a guy, to be exact, who seemed a little older than she was probably playing by himself. Maybe she would mess around with his head for a bit.

"Hey, do you want to play?" she yelled. The man looked over to her, his face cloaked with the shadows from his cap. He nodded. Kira smirked, thinking to herself, "This guy has no idea of who he's dealing with."

-Later-

"Hey, Niwa, what's with the cold shoulder?" Suzuru asked during their break, ever since school began Kira came in late, sweaty with her knee wrapped up in a bandage and she didn't speak at all. Kira just sat there staring at her desk angrily.

"I lost." Kira mumbled. "I lost one to six."

Suzuru looked at her oddly, not trusting her ears she asked, "What happened?"

"I lost! Do I have to spell it out for you? Out of seven blasted games I won one! That nut of a guy won," she snapped. "He beat my puppet attacks. Whoever that bastard was…" Her fist clenched; her body shook she looked directly at her friend's eyes. Suzuru nearly died looking into the silver eyes of the demon. Kira smiled her voice shook. "The next time we meet, I'll beat him. I'll beat him and then I'll find out what his face looks like."

"If you don't know what he looks like, how will you know who it is?" Suzuru asked, still a little shocked that Kira was defeated so easily.

"There aren't many left-handed people that can play with such a distinct feel. Not with that feel. Anyways I think he has a scratch on his upper arm from a branch. It was bandaged when he helped me bandage my knee."

"And you never saw his face?!" Suzuru asked, Kira tapped her chin and yelled back. "I hadn't thought of it at the time!"

"Idiot!"

--

"Where were you this morning, captain? You missed practice." Momo asked Tezuka during lunch. Tezuka just looked at him, a mischievous gleam in his eyes, "I had something to do."

Momo raised his eyebrows.

"Oh really, what exactly was it?" Fuji asked. The captain didn't respond, instead he just ordered them to run laps.

"Hey, did captain hurt his arm?" Ryoma asked Momo. He looked back at the captain, noticing a small bit of a fairly large band-aid nearly covered by his short sleeved shirt, but shrugged.

"No, and unless you want more laps I wouldn't mention it to him either!"

--

"Hey Kira, you need a boyfriend," Suzuru commented bringing Kira back into the conversation. Unlike the boys' team, the girls had today's lunch off and were enjoying their break from Tezuka.

"We're in Junior High, we don't need boyfriends," Kira replied, slowly munching on her rice ball, "Anyways, I think I'd make an awful girlfriend."

"Honestly, I agree," the captain replied as the other girls nodded in agreement. "But it's about time you get a boyfriend anyway. It's unhealthy to not have one this age."

"I'm only fifteen and I don't need one, I have all the time in the world to get one," she sighed, unlike most of her friends; Kira had been more focused on tennis and surprisingly and school than she was into the opposite sex.

"You're no fun. Maybe you should get together with Tezuka," one of the girls stated. Kira choked on her food as they had said that.

"What the hell gave you that idea?" Kira always had a foul mouth after a bad morning, or if she had lost a game. By this time, her friends were in on the secret, so what ever she said at this point she had no restraints on whatever she said. "Don't take him for an idiot. He and I wouldn't get together in a million years. He's too strict and I don't need anyone to hold me down."

"So would you rather date Eiji? He's completely different from Tezuka."

"No. I rather not date a good friend like Eiji. It'd be totally weird."

"Maybe you should just date the guy who kicked your butt this morning," Suzuru laughed.

"And maybe you should beat me in a game, and I'll think about it," Kira retorted with a glare in Suzuru's direction. "Anyways, if he did ask me out, I might actually consider it. He did beat me after all with various moves that I haven't seen at all. He's a very skillful risk-taker. Not like Tezuka's regular playing, it was different like everything was put into it, a more risk-taking approach."

"Sounds like you're in love," Suzuru sighed dreamily. "I never thought our dear killer would be in love."

"Oh yes, Suzuru, I'm in love," Kira sarcastically snorted rolling her eyes, "I'm some masochist, I just HAVE to be in the arms of the guy who KILLED my pride and HURT my knee."

"Oh you know love comes in various forms."

"Uh huh, yeah, you can think of anything you want, Suzuru." Kira said finishing up her lunch, continuing the rest of the day as if it were norm but one thing was different; throughout the day her mind couldn't help but be occupied about that mysterious tennis player.

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**Originalcrazian**: I'm so sorry for my other version of this chapter, it turns out that my beta... didn't really beta it as well as it should've been. So I checked over it. I think I'll return to my friend Seham ( who had agree through bribery, to start betaing most of the chapters.) but I do appriciate Angelstar for trying and she did fix my format. So kudos to her. I hope this hadbeen a lot better and that you had a better time following the story!

1) Azu manga dioh- A Manga created by Kiyohiko Azuma. Tomo is a character of the manga, in the manga she is picked on by her English teacher Yukari, who had also used the " I often speak ill of Nancy" and Kira decided to copy the manga by saying "I often speak ill of Tomo" and Tezuka says tomo's line ( in a much more calm manner) " the book says Nancy not Tomo." Although the Manga may be in Japanese there is a line in the manga where Yukari (the teacher ) speaks in English.


	7. Chapter 7

**OriginalCrazian:** Thank you mysticLedgen11 for editing and putting up with my awful use of exclamation marks and horrid grammar and comma abuse. xD I will try my best to become an actual writer. And with that I present to you a much needed update. Has anyone else notice... Kira sighs a lot...

**Disclaimer:**POT is way too advance for me to own...

**Back on?**

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"Damn," Kira huffed over and over, her face covered in sweat. She coughed violently. She wasn't used to practicing under cold weather, not since last year. Spring hasn't been so kind as to progress towards summer early as it had before. She yawned. Her new playing style hasn't been perfected, and it probably wouldn't be until she finds an opponent to try it against. She leaned against the wall. "I can't play against him if I don't get this move right." She looked towards the sky, thinking about the man who had defeated her weeks prior. She sighed, heavily pushing herself to stand, "I really want to see him again…"

"Kira, get to school!" Sora snapped, "It's already seven. If you don't hurry you'll be late and I will not drive you."

"WHAT!?" Kira jumped to her feet, putting up her tennis gear quickly she ran upstairs to take a quick shower. Once again, in the Niwa household, it was a loud morning.

"Kira-neechan, watch out. That's my foot!"

"Gah! Sorry squirt, oh man, Toto-sensei's going to have my ass if I'm late again."

"Language, Kira. Sora where's my tea?"

"Coming, Ojii! Gah kids, get out now! DAD!"

"Later!" Yuki and Kira huffed, walking towards the school, Yuki ran ahead meeting up with some second years leaving Kira running to the courts to see the matches for the Kantou tournament.

She gasped at the boys' team. There one the sheet of paper announced one of the largest games of the year.

Hyoutei vs. Seigaku

"No way, they made it. They're going to go against Hyoutei," Kira said in total awe as the first bell rung. "CRAP! I'm going to be late!"

Once she step foot into the classroom, Suzuru yelled out to her. "Hey Niwa, inter-rank tournaments are after school tomorrow, be sure you make it of else if we lose to Chiba, I'll shoot you."

Kira looked over at Tezuka remember his advice. She smiled, looking at her captain.

"Now, Suzuru, I had no idea you had no faith in your team members. You should learn from Tezuka-buchou, but if you really want me to be on the team, sure why not. I wouldn't mind crushing you anytime of day."

Suzuru's eyes followed Kira as she walked over to her desk to only sit on it like the delinquent she was. Both girls stared at each other as the room filled with a high playful tension. Suzuru sat in her seat with a smirk that mirrored Kira's.

Suzuru was as competitive as Kira. She loved most of her matches with Kira. "Do you really think so? Kira, if I were you I wouldn't say anything that I couldn't keep."

"Then after school then? We'll kick off this tournament," Kira challenged as she sat into her seat. "I need another toy to play with anyways. If you're lucky, Dear, I might just show you my puppet show revised."

Tezuka sighed heavily; did this girl not learn a thing during the sessions with him? She still slumped in while she sat on top of her desk. And still her voice was enlaced with her conceded and annoying personality.

The final bell rung as Kira sank down into her seat. Throughout their class, Tezuka noticed from the corner of his eyes, the dramatic change in Kira's posture in class since the morning. He began to regain confidence with her lessons when he noticed the small improvements. Kira didn't slump. In fact, it seemed as though she had been paying attention to all their classes, she didn't make any smart remarks as she usually did when she was awake either. Unknowingly to him, Kira too, had had an influence on him. It was shown as their English tests were passed out.

"Gah Kira, you beat me again? You suck," Suzuru said, referring to the perfect percent Kira's test.

"The test wasn't very challenging," Kira replied dully. "The books I read are more difficult to understand than these."

"That's right, your little library at home consist of manga and random English books," Suzuru sighed. "How the heck did you manage to learn English so quickly?"

"When my parents divorced, my mother had custody over me. So unlike my brothers, I flew to America until my mother decided to give custody to my father. When she did that I came over here," Kira explained, exhausted. After all, she hadn't fallen asleep in any of her classes. "For the rest of fifth and sixth grade, I went to an international school. After that, my father and I had decided to try a different private school. So I signed up here."

"WHAT!? NO WAY, I HAD NO IDEA YOU WERE A RETURNING CHILD(1)!" Suzuru shouted as if she had a gun to her head, causing everyone to stare at the two tennis players. "What happened to your mother?"

"My mother is dead," Kira bitterly responded. Her voice wasn't that of a loving person who had lost her mother. It was that of someone who had been disgusted with utter hatred towards another. "She's been dead for the past five years."

"Wait, I thought your mother came here during your freshman year. To talk to about you joining the tennis club," Suzuru commented looking at the girl in disbelief. She had remembered a slightly slender woman, who was probably an inch shorter than Kira now, attending a conference with Kira's father and Coach Ryuuzaki about tennis. "Wasn't that you're mother?"

"Didn't I just say I didn't have a mother?" Kira mumbled, "Regardless if she's alive or not, she'll always be dead to me."

Suzuru looked at the girl weirdly, Kira never acted as such, she usually complained about her family exposing their secrets, especially those of Sora's or Yuki's. "Anything else you want to share with us? Like if your real name is 'Kira'?"

"Oh, it isn't."

Tezuka and Suzuru stared at Kira oddly.

"I was joking," Suzuru commented. "Are you serious? What is it then?"

"By birth, it's 'Akira'. "

"Why change it?"

"My mother gave it to me," Kira bitterly explained.

The sound of Kira's voice made the subject have a taboo sense to it. In hopes changing the subject she looked over at Tezuka and gasped, "Tezuka you got a perfect score too?!"

Tezuka just simply nodded he noticed Kira nod in approval of the grade as Suzuru exploded in madness. "That's not fair. English is stupid, when the hell will I ever need it?"

"Actually, you will—"Kira began, but had been interrupted by Suzuru again. Suzuru pointed a finger at her glaring at her, immensely annoyed with Kira's teasing. "Stop being such a smart ass! Just because you and Tezuka are great in English doesn't mean everyone is!"

Kira sighed as she grabbed the test from Suzuru's hand. She couldn't help but laugh when she had seen the pathetic grade. "You got a 30 on this!? Suzuru, it's just complex sentences and an essay."

"So," Suzuru snapped, snatching the test back. She looked for a way out she pointed at the art projects that they had received earlier. "What about you? You have no talent for any form of art what so ever."

"Actually, literature is a form of art. Besides, what's the point of this conversation? What in the world would I need art for?"

"Well actually," Suzuru began, waiting for the reaction that she demonstrated earlier to come from Kira. However, Kira just looked at her waiting for Suzuru to finish the sentence. "Well? Go on continue the sentence; what will I need art for, Suzuru?"

"Well, it cuts down on stress…"Suzuru began trying to think of other things. "Well what do you want to be when you grow up?"

"I dunno yet, I think I want to become pro or maybe an English teacher," Kira sighed, "When push comes to shove I'll go to America or Italy and join the mafia or something. I always did dig the Godfather."

None of the students made a comment as Kira laughed. The students all just looked at her strangely and began to sit down as the teacher once again began to teach.

A piece of folded paper landed on Tezuka's desk halfway thought the math class. He looked over at Kira's direction. She smirked at him before turning her attention back to the front of the classroom. He opened the note and read it.

"Congrats on getting Hyoutei as your first match. Be sure to beat them."

A reply landed on her desk as soon as he was finished reading it. A smile blossomed when she saw the scribbled words…

_We won't let our guard down._

Kira stared at Tezuka. She couldn't help it. _What a great match that will be. _She couldn't help but think, _That guy, he does have an ego too. He'll win for sure. It's Seigaku after all._

"Niwa, Stop daydreaming or you'll get detention." Kira looked up and quickly apologized then answered the math question.

Tezuka and Suzuru sighed, both misreading the situation and thinking the same thing, _Maybe she should focus on not getting detention before thinking of taking back her spot on regulars_.

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1) a returning child is a child born in Japan moving aboard then back... If I got that right...


	8. Chapter 8

**OriginalCrazian:** Thank you mysticLedgen11 for editing and Singer in the Wind for editing this thing. It's long so I'll let you guys read on then there's that little rant at the bottom.

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**Disclaimer:** Sorry to disappoint you but, I, the OriginalCrazian, does not nor will I ever own POT. Due to the fact that Konomi Takeshi will probably not sell the rights to me for ten bucks… They're healthy deer, I tell you. Please don't call PETA on me…

**Basics, Basics, and More Basics.**

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Suzuru panted her legs began to give away, _How can she still go on playing? Normally she would be tired… unless…_

Kira's legs began cramping long ago. But she needed to continue on. She had to finish the match that she had dragged out. Originally, she and Suzuru were going to participate in the first match, but due to the separation, it didn't happen. Her spot as a regular had already been a guaranteed. This is just the last match that she needed to win, but right now she didn't care for any of it. She was in a match against no one but herself; she wanted to win. No, she _needed_ to win against herself. The game was no longer a match of place. No, it was a test of her endurance.

Suzuru coughed. Her throat was as dry as the Sahara Desert. Why did Kira drag on the match? Was it to taunt her? No. This was a challenge of endurance. She diverted her eyes from the ball to Kira's face. For a split second, the ball hit the ground, breaking Kira from her trance. Kira had won the game.

"Oi, Honda-buchou, that was horrible," Kira huffed, dragging her feet to the center of the court. She shook Suzuru's sweaty hand.

Suzuru frowned. When did she become so awful with singles play? "You know I'm more of a doubles player?"

"Whatever," Kira mumbled, walking over to the sidelines, drinking from her water bottle before passing it on to her friend.

Suzuru caught it as she followed her friend. She stared at the opaque bottle weirdly. Kira rarely shared her water with anyone.

"What did you do to it?" Suzuru asked looking at the bottle suspiciously.

"I didn't do anything to it," Kira cranked her neck, looking back at Suzuru. "Would I lie to you?"

Suzuru couldn't help but give Kira a critical look that spoke, _Yes, you always lie to me._

But she was too thirsty to give the water a second thought. She pressed her lips against the bottle, tilted her head back and waited for the liquid to flow out and quench her thirst. It never came.

Suzuru stood there for fifteen seconds, hoping for more than a few drops to enter her mouth. Her fist clenched as she withdrew the empty canister from her lips. Kira could no longer suppress her laughter. Suzuru threw the blue canister at her laughing friend.

"What the hell? I thought you said you didn't do anything to the water," Suzuru growled. Kira picked up the bottle. The grin plastered on her friend's face annoyed her.

"I didn't. Except for drink all of it," Kira retorted.

Suzuru hated these tricks and riddles that Kira would force on her. Then again, she half expected these antics. After all, they did come from Niwa Kira. She had to admit she did miss the liveliness that Kira brought with her to practice each day. Yes, she missed the back talk, teasing, slacking and even the occasional violence that was Kira.

"I'm quite amazed that you lot made it in the top three schools within the Prefectural Tournament without me," Kira complimented. "Of course if _I_ was playing we'd win first."

"Don't get to caught up with yourself, Niwa," Suzuru sighed, pulling out her notebook to record the scores that were written on the scoreboard. "One of the teams had gotten food poisoning and two of them had forfeited."

"Ah, I see," Kira replied, rummaging through Suzuru's bag. "Neh, Honda, do you have any gum — what's this?"

Suzuru ignored the girl, concentrating on ways to train the other girls in order to prepare, in case the main regulars like Kira were to be absent again. She stared at the scores, nibbling on the top of her pen. The numbers fumbled in her mind and she couldn't completely understand.

_Good, the Osaki twins are doing well. Kurosaki is well off too._ She frowned. _Sato, Matsumoto and Harada are still not strong. When were did we excel in just doubles?_

Kira frowned noticing Suzuru's worried face. She never liked seeing her friend in distress—unless it was caused by Kira herself. But Kira knew all too well that her captain dealt with stressed everyday. She brushed off the feeling before continuing to read the notebook she had found in the bag. Her eye twitched as she began reading the story written in it.

_Is this what the girl does during English? _Kira thought unsure how to respond to reading such…blather. Kira stared at the page confused, of how to react. Should she laugh, explode, leave it alone or what.

"Hey, Niwa, what kind of training do you think we should have for single players—" Suzuru turned and jolted when she saw the notebook Kira held in her hands. She quickly snatched it away. "Have you ever heard of privacy?"

Kira looked at the angry captain, whose chagrined look mirrored that of the sun. Suzuru's orange hair flared as her face burned. Honestly, Kira didn't know weather to laugh or be timid—well, not timid but slightly intimidated. "Well, considering it's about me, no. May I ask why in the world you writing fiction about your life?"

"I-It's not fiction. I-It's just my reality," she stuttered, her face turned even redder as Kira gave her a do-you-think-I'm-that-stupid look. She tried to match the stare clutching the red notebook against her chest. "I-It's my dairy."

Kira smirked as Suzuru tried to persuade her otherwise. It was one of the many reasons why Kira enjoyed being Suzuru's friend. Suzuru was extremely gullible, occasionally dimwitted (especially when it came to English) and she was an awful liar. One would wonder why Kira, one of Seigaku's greatest (and proud) liar, hung around Suzuru. Only Kira could answer that. It wasn't because of how gullible and manipulatable she was—although it did make Kira's life less boring—or how much of a hopeless case she was. The answer was quite simple. Suzuru was the first person that befriended Kira in middle school. Kira remember her former self; shy and quiet, not a single person would say that now, but then Kira used to be self-conscious and timid. She remembered Suzuru's loud congenial voice asking if she would play tennis with her.

"Oi, Niwa are you listening?" Suzuru asked. Kira nodded boredly. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. If it's your dairy, how come I don't remember you ever winning a single singles game against me. Ever. Or fact that Tezuka and I went to a baseball game and he tried to woo me?"

Suzuru just looked away, she wasn't as embarrassed as before. She held onto the notebook; her face a pink color.

"First of all, why baseball? Tennis is much more realistic. Secondly, 'woo'? Come on now, Tezuka would sooner give up tennis than 'woo' anyone. We all know that will never ever _ever_ happen." Kira tried to suppress the laughter that came with the thought but miserably failed. "And thirdly, why in the world are you thinking about my love life. Last time I checked, you are Honda Suzuru and _I_ am Niwa Kira. Plus we are only fifteen. We do not need to think about love or anything so silly. That's what old people do in their spare time and I am not old."

"You mean we're _already_ fifteen," the orange girl corrected, taking a seat next to her best friend. Kira put away her racket in her bag, while more of the girls began to finish up their games. "You know what they say Kira, if you laugh at love, love will make you cry one day."

"Whatever you say," Kira stood up, picking up her duffle bag. "But for now I'm going to hit the showers before it gets crowded. Don't worry so much about the single players. As long as you have me, you don't have to worry."

Suzuru stared at Kira, who had walked off towards the locker room. She lowered her head as a small smile appeared on her face. She couldn't help but think. _So she was listening earlier._

-After practice-

"Later, Honda," Kira yelled, waving. She followed the cheerful Eiji, trickster Momo and the laid-back freshmen. Kira had invited Suzuru out for burgers, offering to treat them. But Suzuru had modestly declined the offer. She needed to talk to Ryuzaki. She needed to have more skilled singles players.

Suzuru walked over to the door of the office. Ryuzaki had been talking to Tezuka. The door was ajar and she couldn't help but over hear the couch and the boys' captain conversing.

"This is where many of the world's top pros have been trained," Ryuzaki stated as Tezuka opened the envelope that spilled with request for him to attend schools from around the world. Ryuzaki looked over his shoulder, her eyes concerned. Suzuru's eyes lingered on the packet that Tezuka held. Why was he suspending his answer? If it had been her, she would have accepted the offer in a heartbeat. Why?

"You don't have to make your decision right away," Ryuzaki stated. She knew how much pressure receiving the packet must have been. _Take your time, Tezuka. I know you'll choose the right path._

Suzuru stood up, took a deep breath and walked into the room. She hated to intrude.

"Here are the papers that you had wanted," she said, holding out the notebook to Ryuzaki. Tezuka stood up carrying the manila envelope with him. "Thank you, Ryuzaki-sensei."

As Tezuka passed her, she couldn't help but feel inferior to him as a captain. Seigaku under his lead, she knew, would take the national title away frown Rakkai Dai Fuzoku. What about her? What has she done to lead Seigaku down the same path? She was convinced that winning Prefecturals had been some fluke. It had to have been. Suzuru had memorized the scores over and over in her head. It had to be a fluke that she was captain. Was she the best for the tennis team?

Ryuzaki noticed Suzuru's sullen eyes. As though she could read her mind, she placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it too much. Seigaku will win."

"I'm not sure. I don't know if we can win. I mean, have I led the girls along the right path? Are we too dependent on our doubles play? We almost lost the last two matches because Niwa wasn't there. And what happens if there is someone better than Kurosaki and Niwa?" Suzuru clenched her fist. Her throat burned. She wanted to win so much. Her head filled with 'what if's and it didn't matter which 'what if' she thought of. It just brought her to Seigaku's ultimate defeat.

"Do you truly believe these girls will accept defeat so easily?" Ryuzaki asked. She couldn't believe the once so proud, confident girl had been reduce to weak timid person. "You were chosen as a captain because your teammates agreed that you will lead them to victory."

Suzuru knew this. She always did, but it didn't comfort her at all. She nodded, walking out. She walked outside and waited. Her sister's car had arrived as it usually did. Suzuru entered the car without a sound.

"What's got you down?" her sister asked, driving to their apartment. Suzuru just sighed. She never felt so confused. Her sister glanced at her. "Tennis again?"

She didn't respond and merely sat there and watched the buildings pass by. Her cell phone in her pocket vibrated. She looked that the number: Kira. She answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Oi, don't sound so down."

"How would you know?"

"Cause I'm Kira, you best friend. I just thought that you might be down still, so I called."

"I'm fine," Suzuru couldn't believe after all that, Kira had the decency to call. "Why?"

"You seemed troubled. Is about the singles thing again?" Why did Kira's voice annoy her more than usual? Suzuru heard Kira sigh. "Listen, don't worry about it so much. I already told you that as long as you have me, Seigaku will win nationals."

"What if you're gone again? What if you lose? What if everyone loses? Stop being so damn arrogant, Niwa," Suzuru's anger took over. She just wanted to scream at Kira. "What if we all lose? What then? What if Kurosaki can't keep or what if Sato—"

"Stupid." Suzuru froze. Even if Kira wasn't there, her voice stunned her. "Do you really underestimate us that much? That's really pathetic. Can't you see everyone is trying their best to make it to nationals? If you haven't seen it, we all have our pride. We will outshine the competition with you or without. We don't need a captain who thinks so lowly of us."

Suzuru's throat began to feel sore. Her sister glanced at the younger Honda and placed a comforting hand on her back. Suzuru's eyes began to water as she choked on her own words. "What if I'm not good enough?"

"Oi, Honda, why would we choose a captain who wasn't capable?" That was all that she needed. Tears flowed from her eyes as the piled stress disappeared from those words. She heard them so many times. Yet, when Kira said them, in her arrogant and insensitive way, they sounded like heaven. "Oi, Suzuru, if you're crying I'm hanging up."

The phone went back to its dial tone, but Suzuru couldn't stop crying. The car stopped. The world was clear. Until now she hadn't realized that her players were already ahead of her, she was the only one who worried about petite problems that had been solved. Now she was at peace.

-Later that week at the Niwa household.-

Kira stared at Tezuka, who sat across from her. She did nothing but study his face. Why wouldn't it move? Tezuka didn't appreciate this either. "It's not polite to stare. Don't lean on the table."

Kira nodded, sitting up straight. It had already been a week since Kira had made the bet with Katsu, what she began to think was the most foolish thing she could have done. Her habits had not improved at all. Everything was the same: the people she tried to please were still afraid of her, the teachers still gave her detentions and she still slumped while walking. "Tezuka, I'm not so sure about this anymore."

"Next time, don't make agreements that you cannot keep," he sighed, frustrated. He hated to see all his hard work go to waste. "Are you going to give up after a week's worth of lessons? If I am here to waste your time, I'll leave. I have other obligations to attend if you're going to quit."

Kira lowered her head. She hated it when Tezuka scolded her. It just made her angry, as if he was taunting her. She knew he wouldn't do such a thing, but it just aggravated her.

"I am trying my best," she replied angrily. "I am not wasting your time."

"Show me." Tezuka gaze froze her. Although his face didn't show it, she could feel him smirking under that stoic mask. That look in his eyes was a taunt, a battle, a match, an invite to accept all of these. Kira smirked. She would never back down an invite from Tezuka. No, never will she pass a chance to make Tezuka eat his own words.

"I will. I won't let my guard down," she replied. "I_ will_ win at all cost."

Tezuka nodded. He, unlike most, had noticed her attempts to become congenial and polite. He noticed how she would try to pay attention in class (although she tended to fall asleep, she did try), decreased her swearing and how she would rarely have a sarcastic remark every time he pointed out a flaw. She tried and that was enough.

"Hey, Tezuka," Kira began as a thought stuck her. "Will I have to dance?"

"Most likely."

Kira groaned. Kira had no idea how to dance. She didn't even know where to begin, and what if it was ballroom dancing? She shuddered at the thought. _How the hell will I manage that?_

"Can you teach me?" Kira's face flustered. She couldn't look at his face. It was just too embarrassing asking a guy to teach her how to dance. "Can you teach me how to dance?"

"We'll need music," he stated. Tezuka had already suspected that Kira didn't know how to dance; now it was just confirmed. Thank goodness he knew how to.

"Ah, is that all?" Kira grinned. She took his hand and dragged down the stairs and the through the hallway into the living room. She pushed him down onto the seat. "Stay here."

Kira ran back upstairs, leaving Tezuka alone. He was confused. Why did she take him downstairs? He looked around the room and he saw why. Against the dark cherry, wood-stained wall was a small modest piano.

"What? Why?" Yuki groaned as she dragged the short, spiky haired, and artistic second-year from his room. An ominous grin appeared on her lips as Kira held out three photos showing them only to her younger brother. His face flustered at his sister's words and evidence. "Fine. I'll play your stupid songs. Just be sure you keep up your end of the deal."

Kira grinned as Yuki made his way over to the piano. Kira pulled Tezuka to his feet, asking—well, more like instructing—him to help her move couch. Yuki fumed, watching his sister made room to dance with Tezuka. Yuki had to admit, Tezuka had become a saint to be able to deal with Kira's constant whining. Every other boy that Kira had brought home with her had either been scared off by Sora's and their dad's constant interrogations or had been annoyed by Kira's constant ramblings about tennis, how they should change, their habits and personality. It drove every boy, besides Tezuka, insane.

"Okay, Yuki, you can start playing any song you want as long as we can dance to it," Kira smiled. Tezuka took her hand and instructed her what to do. Yuki watched his sister positioning herself. He turned around and let out a frustrated sigh before turning his attention towards the piano. The once quiet room filled with harmonious bliss. Everything was in balance, the feeling of warmth, the melody and harmony dance in perfect unity. The classical song was short but highly uplifting. It had stated loud and quick then slow and quiet, even so it was harmonious bliss.

Only if Kira's dancing was half as beautiful. She stumbled at every other count. She stared at her feet hoping that she wouldn't step on her mentor's feet (which to both his and her dismay, happened occasionally through out the dance).

"Don't think about it too much," Tezuka mumbled. Her face flushed red. She tried taking the advice, focusing on nothing but the music. Still, she did not improve. She continued stepping on his feet or stumbling over her own two feet. She couldn't get it. "Why is this so frustrating?"

"It isn't very challenging," Yuki disagreed while they were taking a break. "It seems like basic footwork to me. Tennis footwork sounds much more difficult."

"Footwork is way more entertaining than dancing." Kira glared at her brother. For her to become a proper lady was already an improbable task, but dancing? Who was she kidding? She would rather spend her time counting backwards from three million than dance. But she had to learn how to dance in order to shove the bet in both Katsu's and Tezuka's faces. She looked at Tezuka for more help.

"Think of it as footwork then," Tezuka answered her call for help. Kira just frowned. "If it was that easy, anyone would be able to do it."

Tezuka glared at her. Who was she to doubt him? "Ballroom dancing _is_ basic footwork."

"So you're telling me if I treat it as footwork then I should able to dance?"

Tezuka nodded, before rubbing his temples. Had any of his words going into her head? He had been suggesting that she treats it as footwork from the beginning. Why was working with Kira so…annoying? The thought just made him stressed out even more than nationals had last year.

Ever since they had started to tutor each other, it had consisted of nothing but headaches, arguments, and compromises to both ends. Sometimes he wondered why he bothered with her at all. Then he remembered his English grade, and how the eighty-seven percent had risen to a ninety since she had began tutoring him. Even he had to admit, Kira was a capable English tutor.

Kira closed her eyes, absorbing in all of her stoic mentor's advice and criticism. She opened her eyes, keeping all of the words in her head. _Nothing but basic footwork._

They continued their dancing. This time, the music came at a slower pace, and the sense of its steadfast fluidity calmed Kira inside. At first, much like the previous trials, Kira had stepped on Tezuka's feet and stumbled and through her steps. But as they continued, Kira's movements became cleaner and Tezuka became more relaxed. She slowly stopped stepping on his feet, which had relieved both . Kira smiled, suppressing the laughed that stirred in her. Who would have though that she enjoyed such an activity? _This is…pretty fun._

There was a loud slam from the door that had stopped the music and the dance.

"Ahem." The tutors and musician looked towards the door. There stood Sora, glaring daggers into Tezuka. Tezuka quickly removed his hand from Kira's back and coughed. "That will be all for your training today. We should start on the English homework."

"Yeah, I'll meet you upstairs," Kira replied. She watched as Tezuka walked pass Sora. Tezuka and Sora were about the same height. She never really realized how alike they were until now. They both wore glasses, carried themselves with dignity, they were both strict and didn't like to see their work go to waste. Once she heard the door closed, her gazed turned to Sora. She gave him a nasty glare that could kill. "What happened to your date?"

"Yeah it ended, glad it did. What the hell were you doing with Tezuka?" He snapped throwing his jacket on the moved couch. "Did some fung shway while I was gone?"

"We were just dancing ask, Yuki," Kira defended. Yuki scratched the back of his head and gave his bickering siblings a dull look. Sora was staring at him waiting for and answer, He yawned. "All they did was dance, Aniki. Just chill, it's Tezuka you're talking about. He wouldn't do anything."

"It's not Tezuka who I'm worried about, it's Kira. I never thought that you had a thing for Tezuka." Sora's voice was bitter. "I don't think you should be seeing him anymore."

Kira's eye twitched. "I do not have a thing for Tezuka; we are just classmates. And unless you make me switch school, I have to see him every school day."

"Well, I don't like the idea of you having a boy in your room," Sora protested, sitting on the couch. "Yuki, get me a soda."

"You didn't mind it before. Anyways if you haven't forgotten, this is TEZUKA we're talking about. There's nothing happening." Kira protested walking into the kitchen to get two water bottles. "It's not like he's some pedophile."

"Whatever. Yuki, get me a soda," Sora repeated when none had appeared in his hand. Yuki, annoyed by the arguing and being stopped in the middle of a song, had already left the room. Sora sighed heavily. "I know, I know. Is he staying for dinner?"

"I'll ask."

-Kira's room-

Tezuka explored the bookshelf in Kira's room as he waited her to come up. He wasn't at all fazed by Sora's glares. After all, Kira was his sister. If he had a sister, he would be equally as protective. Kira had a rather large collection of books that varied from basic shojo manga all the way to poetry to classic English novels. It had even seemed that she organized them by size and color in different genres. He wondered how much her grades would improve if she did this for her homework as well. He noticed that the book he had brought for her wasn't on the shelf. Instead, it was on the seat by the window. He picked up the black hardcover book, and opened to the page with Kira's bookmark. Tezuka was surprised when he saw the bookmark. It was a small picture the Niwa family. The captain recognized a much younger Mako, Izumi, and Sano. The baby in the woman's arms, by his deductions, had to Yuki. Kira had been smiling in front of the woman who he concluded had to be the mother.

"You can borrow that book if you want." Tezuka glanced at the door. Kira had opened the door quietly and walked over to the table. Her arm extended to Tezuka. Tezuka walked over to the table and took the offered water bottle. Kira noticed the picture he had opened . "That picture was taken a year before my parents divorced at a cabin that we own. My mother forced me to take the picture. After I had twisted my ankle, my dad wanted me to go to the hospital to make sure it hadn't been serious. She didn't hear a bit of it and made us take the photo. I remember thinking that when I got older, I would sue her for child abuse."

She found herself out of breath from blurting so fast. Kira laughed at the old memory. She stared longingly at the picture, "I'm glad she made us take that picture. Oh well, let's get started on our homework."

They continued studying pronouns, pronunciations and finished the worksheets together. Time passed quickly. Tezuka had improved dramatically with his English. In his essays, Kira noted, he had some awkward sentences and a few misspellings. She edited and corrected most of his mistakes throughout the worksheet. But even so, she felt that it wasn't enough to just tutor him in English while he taught her so many things about being polite, proper and likable.

"Neh, Tezuka, do you want to train with me?" He glanced up confused about what she was asking. "Well I know I'm no match for you, but I can warm you up and stuff like that. You've done so much for me and I just don't think tutoring is enough. You're catching up pretty quickly and all—"

Kira's face had turned slightly pink. Was she trying to pay him back more than she had already? Was this her attempt at being gracious? Tezuka didn't want to be a burden to her, nor did he really want her to hurt her pride in order help him. "No, thank you."

"Ah, okay. I will make it up somehow," Kira wasn't shocked by the answer. She looked down at her paper, sullen. _ Of course, why would he want a person who can't keep up with him play against him?_

She forced a grin. "Are you staying for dinner?"

"No," he replied, packing up his stuff. "My mother wants me to go home early today."

"Alright, thank you for lessons." She stood up. Then a thought struck her. She needed a date. "Neh, Tezuka—"

He turned around, waiting for her to finish her sentences. But as much as she tried to ask him to the dance her words turned to jabberwocky. He gave her a confused look. "What?"

Her face turned red; this had never happened before. Why was she nervous about asking him?

"Uh, never mind." He gave her a slight nod before leaving. She watched him walk out of the door, then down the stairs and out the front. Returning to her room, she slammed her fist into her desk.

_What just happened? Why could I ask him out? Am I losing my touch? No, I cannot be losing my cute, innocent, desirable façade. _ She ran to the mirror. "That's it Kira, you will flirt with every third year guy, and if none of them try to kiss you or ask you out. Then that means you lost your touch. And if they do then….then what…"

She was at lost. What if it does work? That would mean that it was only with Tezuka. Now that she thought of it. It was only with Tezuka that she felt like she could be herself. It was only with Tezuka that she would fluster when he touched her. Only with that tall captain did she catch herself starring at him. She only concluded one thing. "Oh…my…I'm …. I'm….I'm showing symptom of a soon to be stalker.."

"Aneki, you're talking to yourself again," Kira quickly turned to her door. _Damn I left the door open…_

There Yuki stood there, a smug smile on his face. He held out his hand. "The picture."

Kira gazed at him suspiciously, she held out a picture. He snatched it away. She smirked, there was no doubting it. "I want all the tapes and media back. _Now_."

"What do you mean?" He gave an innocent smile Kira knew too well; she had it on her face as well. "Yuki, you do know that it was I who taught you how to lie, steal, blackmail, bribe and all those little goodies. You cannot fool me."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Kira studied his face and walked around him, observing his movements. She smirked. "Well then, I guess this footage of you looking through porn is staying in my collection."

His eye's narrowed. "You're lying."

"Or am I? Let's see. If you're wrong, the footage will be posted throughout school. If not, then I will allow you to take it." Kira's eyes shined, a playful smirk etched into her face. Yuki's smile fell. He didn't want to take the chance. He pulled out two tape recorders from his pockets. "Fine. Here."

Kira held out her hand. "The other one too."

He grumbled handing her all the media that she wanted. Never did he outsmart his older sister. She was, after all, his mentor in blackmail. Kira tossed him a small tape that he caught it. "Just so you know. Umeda and Oki gave them to me in a paper bag. I just opened the bag to see what it was. I didn't read the magazines."

Her brother's face glowed red, Kira just smirked slamming the door in his face. "Whatever."

* * *

**Peta- **For those who don't know what PETA stands for it is and organization against abuse of animals… not that I abuse animals, that was just a pun for 'Buck' which is not only a reference to money but also to deer. PETA is the acronym for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

**Aneki-** older sister. Just like how older brother can be called "Akini" instead of 'Nii-san' or Onii-chan, 'Ane' in 'Aneki' means sister.

**Aniki-** older brother, instead of using Onii-chan or Nii-san an older brother can be called 'Akini' the 'Aki' in Akini means brother, if it's substituted for 'Ane' to make 'Aneki' it would be sister.

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**OriginalCrazian:** Wow what a long chapter. Actually my longest chapter yet, it is eleven pages long. Oh well, I had so much fun writing this chapter. xD Kira is so dense. Ah, but I love writing her. Tezuka is so hard to write. oo The first part was supposed to be apart of chapter seven. But… it seemed unnecessary at the time. Irony, eh? Well it's in this chapter now. Aha. Thank you for reading. I apologize to my readers who waited for months for me to update since chapter six.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I'm afraid that I am no Konomi Takeshi and do not own Prince of Tennis

**Warning**: Swearing, Genius moments and very, very, awful English. **English.**_ Thoughts and other._ Regular storyline.

* * *

**Mission**** Impossible**

* * *

Ever since the mysterious player had beaten her, Kira's goal was to wake up early and walk to the courts to see if the player was there. It had not always worked out for the following reasons: she occasionally slept in, hitting the off button rather than the snooze, she showered longer than needed when she was tired, and getting yelled at by her brother (and sometimes her dad) for being too loud.

But today was different. There was a different air in the Niwa household—that is, smoke.

"What's with the smoke?" Sora shouted. His delicate sleep had been harshly interrupted by the pungent smell of burnt toast, eggs and possibly expired milk. He recognized a panicking figure as his younger brother. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I got hungry," Yuki replied, his hair covered with—or what Sora could guess—as flour and baking powder and some blotches of the wet buttermilk batter covering his pajamas. Sora shook his head in disapproval of Yuki's large mess. Yuki just stood there picking out blotches of gooey pancake mix from his hair. "But this doesn't smell very appetizing though."

Sora gave a low sigh as he extinguished the small fire. He hated waking up early in the morning. Why was his life this crazy? He hadn't done anything bad right? He did well in school, worked part time, kept up with his home work, did his chores and took care of his siblings. So why? Why did God not let him sleep in? Why did Yuki have to attempt to cook? Why was his family crazy? Then something was wrong. Why _was_ Yuki cooking? Usually if it wasn't Sora himself cooking breakfast, Yuki would wake their loud sister and force her to cook for him. The question was: where was that loudmouth punk of a sister? He scanned the room suspiciously. Something was smelly… and no, it wasn't the smoke that emitted from the burnt sour concoction Yuki had created.

"Where's Kira?" Sora rolled his eyes exasperatedly. Yuki dusted the flour from his shirt and shrugged. "She wasn't in bed when I woke up and I woke up at five thirty."

Yuki, unlike most of his family, enjoyed waking up early. He enjoyed the scent of the calming morning dew drops that usually floated through the slightly opened window, listening to calm sounds of Bach compositions on his small Ipod before getting out of bed to take humiliating photos of his sleeping brother. Of course, he would like to do the same with Kira, but she had some incriminating revenge ready for whatever the situation.

Sora frowned; he could already tell that today was not going to be the best of his school career. Yuki smirked, taking advantage of his brother, who harbored a sibling complex. "Neh, Aniki, can you make me my pancake?"

"Alright…" Sora said reluctantly; he could never say no to Yuki. Especially since his brother's face glowed with their sister's adorable looks and Yuki's blue eyes glimmered with tears of hunger. How could he say no to Yuki's alter version of Kira's pleading face that now extruded pure innocents? He couldn't.

-Early Morning-

Kira fell on all fours, again beaten but not really dissatisfied. She panted for water. All she could taste was air and the salty sweat that dripped from her face. Her stamina had surpassed its usual limit. Ever since she had met that man, her ambition to beat him grew, forcing herself to practice more, train more, play more unknown players and expanded her knowledge on the sport she thought she had once knew all about.

"Oi, are you alright?" Her opponent asked, she looked towards her opponent. He towered over her, but he wasn't the same as the others and definitely not similar to the first man that beat her. No, he wasn't as tall, his hair was red and he was right handed. Kira nodded, a smirk still on her face. Her androgynous disguise was still in affect. "Wow, Fudomine regulars are tough."

"Thank you, you were pretty good too," The regular replied, holding his hand out for her to take. She accepted it and gave a low sigh. She had lost five games to seven and another play had been sealed. "Thanks, name's Niwa."

"Kamio," he replied. He had been running his morning jog before heading his way to practice but he had come across her, the lone player hitting tennis balls against the wall. His curiosity had led him to play Kira and while he thought the match would only last fifteen minutes at most, had instead extended to fifty minutes. He looked at his watch and cursed while Kira finished packing up her stuff. "It's six thirty? I have to go."

"Meh, I still have time to go home and eat…"Kira glanced at her watch before looking back at the fleeing Kamio. She glanced at Kamio's fading silhouette. Kira's grin grew as she began her way home for a shower and breakfast before heading for morning practices._ Ah, what a great warm-up. Mada mada dane, as Ryoma-chan would say… Ugh, that was not smart to not eating more than slice of toast before I left…_

It was not a wonder as to why Sora highly disapprove of Kira's unhealthy habits.

-School-

Suzuru frowned. Why God, why? Did he hate her so much that he wanted tennis practice to be ruined by the rain that morning? Kira shook her head in disappointment as she sat on top of her desk. "Oi Honda, don't mope around too much, you're seriously bringing down my mood."

Suzuru stared at Kira oddly; it was usually Kira the one who had been annoyed with the rain, but today she noticed the oddly upbeat behavior that Kira had. It was completely out of character—not that her behavior hadn't been strange anyways lately. Kira was usually more irritable when it rained. But as she sat there on her desk, her face was playful, and then Suzuru saw Kira's lips. There was a light layer of clear lip gloss and Suzuru fully understood the odd behavior Kira had. It was the miracle of make-up and Kira only wore make-up when she was planning something devious. She watched Kira make her move.

"What?" Kira frowned, noticing Suzuru's strange stare and returned it with a questionable look, but Suzuru just shook her head. Kira was getting tired of waiting. So she jumped off of the desk and made her way through the hallway. Fan boys were finally arriving. Kira gave every one of them a dazzling smile like that of royalty, occasionally throwing in a small blown kiss or wink. She wasn't holding back. Not at all…even if it killed her.

"Oi, what are you doing?" Kira jolted, looking behind her and seeing Yuki. Yuki had followed her quietly just to scare her, but obviously she was busy with her fan club. He glared at her and shoved a lunch box in her face. "You left without your lunch box."

"Ah, thank you, Yuki," she replied in English as her fan boys squealed—yes, some squealed with glee—as other complimented on how cute she looked today. Yuki rolled his eyes. Were all the senpai-tachi this gullible to his sister's obvious tricks? If so, he was going to head into a group of hormonal boys next year, most probably fawning over his sister. Chills of disgust came over Yuki. _ Oi, if this is how being a senior is like, I'd rather just stay a junior for the rest of my life._

The five-minute bell rang, warning the students to quickly head to class. Kira gave all her fan boys a goodbye blown kiss before skipping—yes, skipping—to class. A flirtatious smirk danced on her face as she sat down and flipped her hair. Her eyes had a devious glint that made all her fan boys and some others weak in their knees.

Seeing Kira flaunt herself throughout the first half of the day did not please Tezuka at all. It was safe to say that he was highly disappointed with the girl. Tezuka felt exasperated for expecting her to change. Perhaps this was his fault. He should've known that Kira's knack for lying was something to be aware of. It was so thorough she could even convince the great Tezuka Kunimitsu. Perhaps he should just give up—okay, not give up, his pride wouldn't allow that but maybe he should push her to her limit, bribery? No, much, much worst, he had to break her bad habits one way or another.

Kira was frustrated under her playful facade; this plan wasn't working as she wanted it. She didn't feel that electric attraction as she had with Tezuka. What did it mean? She tried to mentally clawing out every reason possible that would explain her reaction when her eyes met his brown eyes. She glanced over at Tezuka quickly and quickly turned back. She had never felt such fear. Ever. The aura covering Tezuka's desk scared the hell out of her, not to mention the nasty look that she could feel leaking out the calm exterior of his stoic mask with the disturbing feeling of disappointment following that angry look. Kira ceased her flirtation and tried concentrating on her work. But it ate at her, oh yes, the disturbing silence that had to be some sort of acid that quickly dissolved her fifteen-year-old immune defiance to guilt.

Once Suzuru noticed that the once happy-go-lucky flirtatious girl had quieted down, she glance behind her. It was as though the darkest corner of the room had somehow shifted towards Kira's desk, and it wasn't leaving anytime soon. She didn't like the feeling; in fact, it began to freak the over-imaginative person even more. Suzuru ignored everything around her and tried focusing on her English lesson.

Kira, left in all her emo glory, could feel hateful rays against her. It was, to say the least, nerve-racking. She knew that these weren't from the other girls or Suzuru. These were much more complex. They had to be from Tezuka, so she cautiously turned her head, sneaking a glance at Tezuka. His eyes were focused on the book and nothing else. Kira, however, felt as though 600 more pounds had been dropped on her shoulders as she quickly turned around. The thoughts that swirled in her head were not very optimistic. _ He hates me. I know he hates me. Why he does, I don't know. Okay, I might have some clues, but he hates me. Tezuka, the pillar of Seigaku, is planning something against me. I know it, he hates me. He hates me. He hates me. He has it in for me. God, save me. He hates me. Tezuka hates me._

"Kira—" Kira let out a small squeal, jolting out of her seat, bringing her mind back to reality. She glanced up at the boy who towered over her. Tezuka closed his eyes, his teeth gritted behind his purse lips. Did she have to scream at the sound of his voice? It was not a very good day. Kira scrambled to get herself together, as he studied her. He was right. She wasn't listening at all. "Sensei told us to try out peer editing, do you mind editing my paper?"

"Uh, sure." Kira took the paper from his hand. Her hand brushed against his, causing her to be slightly embarrassed. Her face turned a slight shade of pink. _I'm so stupid. I shouldn't have screamed. I'm an idiot. He hates me, I just know it._

Her fan boys noticed Kira's reaction and misread it. The room instantly filled with gloom. Suzuru, on the other, had also noticed Kira's reaction and had a field day writing about it in her red notebook—oh the thoughts that filled her little brain. If they were to be ever read aloud, who knows what would happen. _ Oh this is great,_ Suzuru grinned, writing down anything and everything that came to mind. _ Niwa Kira sat down, daydreaming of the confession that Tezuka Kunimitsu had proposed to her during lunch. She had no idea that he too, had been thinking of her_—

"What the hel— heck are you writing?" Suzuru looked up to see Kira staring down at the page. She quickly slammed the notebook shut and stuffed it under her seat. Her brow sweating, an innocent grin on her face and her notebook under her butt, she greeted the ace.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were editing Tezuka-kun's paper."

"It's Tezuka's paper. It's practically perfect," Kira replied, giving her friend a dull look before picking up Suzuru's English essay. "Anyways I thought you needed more help."

"Not this time," Suzuru proudly beamed. "This time, I had an American friend, who's studying Japanese, edit it for me. And she says that she's the best writer in her school."

"This is…"As Kira read the paper, she felt like gouging her eyes out. She couldn't stand it. She was at loss for words, and red with anger. Suzuru, like a puppy, stood in front of her and waited for Kira to shower her with praise. But Kira did not do so. In fact she walked over to her seat, took out a rather large and heavy looking book and hovered it over Suzuru. Suzuru, confused at her friend's reaction, assumed that Kira was going to give her a book as a peace offering. "What are you going to do with that book?"

"Suzuru, stay still." Kira's eyes were shrouded by shadows as they seemed to deepen into her sockets.

Suzuru's body began to shiver. Why was the teacher gone when she needed her? "Why?"

"Because I'm going to beat you with this dictionary," Kira snapped in rage, lunging at her captain as some of the boys pulled her back. Kira protested, to say the least. "I'm doing this for your own good. If I beat you with this, correct English might actually leak into you brain."

"W-Why?!" Suzuru screamed as Kira broke free from the boys' grip. She had every right to scream and without the teacher in the room, who would save her? She ran and hid under a desk. Kira's eye twitched. "That is the worst paper in the world. 'I' is a pronoun, and used to identify one self, equivalent to 'Ore-sama'. Not 'eye' E-Y-E, which is the organ one uses to see. And never have a sentence that goes, 'One upon a time, there was a girl who wrotted good essays.' Wrotted…wrotted, Suzuru? Have I taught you nothing about the beautiful English language?"

"Kira," that commanding voice was enough to stop her rampage. Tezuka glared at her, she placed the dictionary down on a nearby desk. Her teeth gritted, irritated by the sudden command to not "correct" her friend.

"But she totally defiled the innocents of English writing." Kira huffed in exasperation.

"You're overreacting," he said sternly.

Kira just crossed her arms and pouted. "I am not, it's terrible. What's worst is that she got it proofread."

"Is this how you're proving yourself?" Kira froze in her spot, a mixture of guilt, annoyance and depression over came her. If it couldn't get anymore worse, she had a huge headache. She gave a low sigh as the teacher entered the classroom. She didn't say a thing, she just shook her head 'no' and went to her seat. _I seriously screwed up._

"I'll correct your paper from now on." Suzuru heard Kira mumble under her breath. Suzuru crept out from the corner and coughed away the incident and gave a small smile, she understood that voice was the closest she would ever come to an apology.

"Neh, Niwa, what's the big deal about mixing '**eye**' and '**I**'? They're both _contractions, _right?" Kira glared at Suzuru, her eyes burning with hatred towards Suzuru's small mind. Did she want Kira to be a murderer?

-Lunch-

The roof was abandoned as it usually was, probably due to Kira's small white lie of a ghost haunting and how everyone who went up there would have bad luck. But it's just a small white lie, nothing too big…right? Kira sighed. She reviewed the events in her mind over and over. Tezuka's question stuck in her head. Maybe she did overreact, but it was English. Then again, Suzuru's Japanese, she didn't have to understand English, right? But Suzuru was Kira's friend so she should've known better than to give her an obviously butchered English paper. It was almost as bad as having an American Japanese-crazed person butchering the Japanese language. Then again, that person who proofread Suzuru's paper and "corrected" it deserves to be shot. Kira had _never _read such a... thing—she refused to call it a paper—so awful from a native English speaker. Then there was the matter called Tezuka. What nerve he had to make her blush... she never had this problem before the tutoring lessons began. Why now, why is it that she cannot get his caress off her skin, his voice out of her ears or his face from her head? This was not fair.

Kira sat against the wall, facing the tennis courts, her mind a battlefield of pride, guilt, justifications and reasons as to why she only blushed when she was with Tezuka. This wasn't fair. How can one guy seriously make her feel so guilty about two measly incidents? Kira didn't even have the motivation to eat her lunch. It was just not right.

There was a loud slam, probably a person that got conned into coming onto the "cursed" roof as a dare or someone who decided to confess her love. Kira could recall a couple of confessions with the most recent and common related to Fuji and Eiji. She edged over to take a small peek of who it was this time. To her surprise, it was none other than Tezuka, in all his intimidating glory. She couldn't help but feel bad for the idiot who fell for that stoic statue.

Tezuka stared in annoyance as the girl, who dragged him all the way up to the roof to fumble with the hem of her skirt and, hopefully, gracefully deliver her confession. Well, what is she doing just standing there? Doesn't she have any idea that his life was very busy at the moment? She should hurry and confess. "Um, I-I really like you Tezuka-san, will you please go out with me?"

She waited in the agony for four to five seconds for his answer. She hoped for a miracle of him saying yes, but life wasn't so kind. "I'm sorry, Ikari-san." The girl's face turned redder by the moment, her hands pulling on the skirt as it would soothe her embarrassment. "I want to focus on my studies and tennis."

"Is it because of Niwa Kira? I-I've seen you two walk home together a-and I know I'm nothing really compared to her b-but would you please consider me?" Tezuka was slightly taken a back by the question. Usually girls would cry and run off modestly. They wouldn't ask why. The girl's eyes were full of tears, but she did her best to rub them away. Kira, simultaneously trying to hide herself but eavesdrop into the conversation, held her breath when the girl called her name. Both Kira and Tezuka were thinking of the same question: Why did she ask that?

"No, Niwa-san is just my neighbor. She has nothing to do with this," he firmly stated. Kira stopped breathing. Her chest hurt—no it burned. What was this feeling? A neighbor, was that all she was to him? Saying that she was just another tennis player was—at least in Kira's lovely mind—a lot better than just a neighbor.

"Oh," Ikari mumbled, her tears running from her face. She ran off, slamming the door behind her. Tezuka gave a frustrated sigh, rubbing his temples and walked over to the fence facing tennis courts. That was the fourth confession this pass week. Why were girls so focused on the opposite sex? That was one thing that he liked about Kira: she was like him. She didn't think about dating, even if she didn't act like it. He could see past most of Kira's lies. He and Kira just wanted to play tennis, nothing more.

Kira, lost in her own thoughts, didn't even notice Tezuka who stood in front of her. And Tezuka didn't notice Kira, who sat against the wall with an unopened bento box in her lap. The two both drifted in their own worlds. Kira was still debating on whether she was Tezuka's friend or just that annoying neighbor. Tezuka, on the other hand, had much more complex issues perturbing his mind: winning the Kantou tournament, how to break Kira's habits, how to compromise his strained elbow with his tennis, and issues that involved student council. A loud ring emitted from the school and broke their concentration. Tezuka turned around and Kira stood up, just now noticing each other's presence.

"Uh…" Kira began. "When did you get here?"

"Did you overhear the confession?" Kira quickly changed the subject, she didn't want him to think that she was eavesdropping on them purposely. Honestly, she didn't mean to. " Ah, we should get to class or else we'll get detention."

Kira walked over to the door trying to pull it open, but it wouldn't budge. She scratched her head and tried pulling it again. Still, it wouldn't open. "What the…. Tezuka-_kun_ can you help me?"

Tezuka was a little surprised that Kira had added 'kun' to his name. She had never done so before and honestly, it irked him. Tezuka nodded, pulling on the door. It didn't move, and he tried again. No luck. "It's broken. Ikari-san must have broken the lock when she slammed it."

"You have to be lying." Color drained from Kira's face, and she pushed the small lunch onto Tezuka. Kira tried pulling with all her might, a foot against the wall and two hands on the handle bar. Her messy hair flowed with the wind, her face scrunched up. It was certainly an odd humorous sight that even amused Tezuka. Kira panted, and tried once more as the sweat on her hands slipped, sending her crashing to the ground and officially late for class.

"Kira," he shouted, trying to catch her but he was too late. Kira frowned. Could anything else go—wait, she wasn't going to even bother finishing that thought, it was taboo, any genius knew that. Tezuka offered his hand to her, and she took it. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, my huge ass totally broke the fall—Er I mean, I'm fine." Her face was slightly red. Why was she doing this? It wasn't like her to be nervous around guys or blush. She sighed, and swallowed her pride. "I'm sorry. I won't ever act like how I did this morning. I was experimenting. It'll be the last time."

"I want a three hundred word essay on how a lady should act…in Japanese." Tezuka wanted to forgive her, but then he would have to forgive everyone who apologized, and that's just not how it operates in Tezuka's mind. But Kira had changed: she willingly admitted she was wrong, and although that temper of hers could be under more control, Kira's maturity had indeed grew. Subconsciously his hand found its way on top of Kira's head, patting her like a good dog. The gesture surprised Kira, to say the least. She tried her best to stop her face from turning any redder than Eiji's hair. She darted her eyes away from his, gently mumbling a small audible "fine."

They stood there, staring at the tennis courts below. When Tezuka had removed his hand from her head, all hope for escape in Kira's heart dwindled down to nothing. Then, there was a loud grumble. Kira stared at Tezuka, a smirk on her lips. "Tezuka, by the way, adding 'kun' to your name is way too much trouble, I'm just going to call you Tezuka. But anyways, are you hungry?"

Tezuka ignored the question, probably trying to act cool and complacent as always. Kira dully stared at the man who hid his hunger well, a playful smirk on her face as another, much quieter, grumble emitted from his stomach. She handed him the small bento box. "You can have my lunch."

He stared at the box for a considerable time, almost as though to inspect it for any form of poison, tricks or bombs before gracefully declining. Honestly, he wouldn't have been hungry if it wasn't for the increasing amount of girls confessing to him, oddly, it usually happened during February and March, but not much during ending June and early July. How would he know? He _is_ Tezuka Kunimitsu, probably the most desired guy in Seigaku. How could he not avoid almost every member of the opposite sex during Valentine week and White Day? Having girls confessing their undying love cut into his tennis practice and now lunch, and, needless to say, it very much annoyed him.

"Eat it," Kira ordered, her voice commanding, motherly, and much like how it was when they were in the small café. It was stranger than usual too. Tezuka thought it almost sounded like his mother. "You're a growing boy, so be sure to eat your vegetables."

"You should eat it, this is your lunch." Kira nodded, it_ was_ her lunch. Then again, Sora made it, and that was not a good sign at all. She pushed the lunch towards the captain, looking away. "You eat, I lost my appetite. I will, however, take my juice."

Tezuka had a feeling why, and it was confirmed when he opened that bento box. In its _vegetarian_ glory, the food was neatly packed in small containers: scrambled eggs on one side and spinach and snow peas enlaced together in the second container. The thing that was rather disturbing was the rice. In English nori-cut-out letters, delicately placed on top of the rice, were the words—well, letters and symbol—he would never expect coming from Niwa. He just stared at the lunch.

"What's wrong?" Her left eye twitch when she saw what her rice spelled. Was Sora's goal in life to completely harass and humiliate whenever he had the chance? All the heat in her body erupted in her face, her heart raced, and everything clashed down, her arms in the air as she justified the '_I _:heart: _you._' on the rice. "No, you have the wrong idea, I don't heart you. I don't like you at all. Well I like you like a friend, that's it, but not like that. You're totally not my type."

He gave her a curious look, before ignoring it and simply eating the lunch as she ran around ranting to herself. Honestly, after studying with Kira for more than a week, Kira's strange antics became a norm for him. He gave an inward sigh when he saw her trip. Kira, despite her elegant tennis, was extremely clumsy when she was excited or embarrassed. Tezuka could often remember moments when she fell onto him, stepped on his feet, she even toppled into her bookshelf once when he came over last night to pick up a book he had left behind. She had left the door to her room open when she came from her closet, before screaming. She was very careless, and thought too much of other matters. It was not a wonder why she was poor with history and math, those required full attention. And Kira's mind was occupied with two main things, English and tennis.

Kira pushed herself up from the ground. How embarrassing it was to trip on her shoelace. She looked to her side, a flame of hope ignited in her soul. She didn't bother suppressing the squeal of joy that destroyed the quiet roof. "Tezuka, I found our salvation."

"You had that all along?" He asked aloud noticing the small silver phone in her small hands. Tezuka was dumbfounded. He would have never thought that Kira was that much of an airhead to forget that she had a phone in her pocket. But then again, she was the so-called delinquent in the class for a reason. Kira nodded. "Yuki will save us."

_Help me, Yuki. I'm locked on the roof with Tezuka._

They waited eagerly for Yuki to burst through the door, but instead Kira received a very displeasing text. Kira blood pressure rose when she read the reply. Tezuka read the message and too, frowned. Kira gave an angry sigh ready to throw the phone against the ground, jump off the roof, burst into classroom and drop kick her brother on the spot. "That Yuki… He's going to pay. Very, _very _dearly."

_If you're dumb enough to get locked out then get out yourself._

"Let me see the phone," Tezuka stated, his hand out, Kira shook her head. "Zu-zu will save us."

"Zu-zu?" Tezuka asked. There was not one person he could recall as 'Zu-zu'. Kira nodded, texting the so called 'Zu-zu'. "Zu-zu is Suzuru's Nickname, starting now at least."

_This girl…_ he thought, shaking his head in disapproval. He couldn't feel anymore pity for Suzuru. Kira smirked, teasing him a bit. "Neh, you want a nickname too, Kuni-pii?"

"_Tezuka_ is just fine," he sternly corrected, crossing his arms and awaiting for Suzuru to reply back.

-With Suzuru-

"Ugh," Suzuru groaned, wiping her nose with a tissue. She was in the middle of her Japanese course freezing to death sitting next to the air conditioner after she had accidentally tripped into a pool of stagnant cold puddle of asphalt and water looking for the ace at lunch. _Why is it that whenever I go look for Kira, something bad happens to me?_

She sneezed again. Her head felt like it was going to explode at any moment to expel the built-up mucus. She rested her head down against the desk, hoping the air conditioner would break down.

"Honda, wake up." The teacher chucked a piece of white chalk at her. Suzuru sat up after the chalk fell onto the floor, broken into two. The teacher never had great aim. Suzuru sat up grudgingly, facing the board. As the teacher began to speak, all his words slowly slurred together, her eyelids became heavier after every monotone annunciation. She pulled out her cell phone and began texting Kurosaki and the others about tennis practice and waited for a response.

A very obnoxiously loud "You got Mail" emitted from Suzuru's hands scaring the daylights out of her and anyone around her. She glance at text, it was from Kira. Before she could even begin reading it, multiple numbers of "You got mail" erupted from her pink phone. Suzuru panicked, covering the speaker with her other hand in hopes that it would smother the sound.

"Honda, turn off that phone this once and give it to me," the teacher, red as a bull, demanded. Suzuru did as she was told. She swore that she had put the phone on silent. As she handed the phone to the teacher, (who stuffed it in a drawer full of other cell phones) she was exceedingly grateful that Kira didn't have her class that period, if she did. Kira wouldn't forget this embarrassing incident. "Detention, Honda."

-Kira and Tezuka-

"Wait a minute." The thought hit her like a ton of bricks, when it took Suzuru several minutes to reply back. Karma was a bitch. Kira wanted to tear her hair out, why today? She groaned handing the phone to Tezuka. Why was Suzuru so dumb? "Suzuru's not going to reply… I turn the sound on Zu-zu's phone as a prank before lunch... Just call Oishi…"

"A lady should not—" Tezuka began as Kira interrupted his reply "I know, I know."

She knew it was rude but damn it, she was not going to let him say 'I told you so' in Tezuka-style Japanese. Tezuka frowned, perhaps breaking her pride was his second priority, for now first thing first, he texted Oishi.

-Later-

"I'm sorry," Kira said over the phone to her sick friend. "I told you I was contemplating on other thoughts."

"Thoughts? Niwa, I went searching for you, fell into a puddle, got sick and went to detention because of you. What—achoo—thoughts could make you—achoo—get stuck on the—achoo—Never mind I'm going to bed. night. " Suzuru's voice annoying, with her nose so congested it really made Kira regret not telling her friend where she was at… and for performing that epic failure of a prank.

Kira sighed, typing on the computer. She looked up illnesses that matched her description of how she felt around Tezuka. The ace was generally worried, it had never happened before. The results she got were very unsatisfying.

_Lovesick._

"What the hell is this crap?" Kira snapped, slamming down the laptop. It wasn't true. It couldn't be. No way. No how. It was a lie. It had to be a lie. She, Niwa Kira, the best liar, blackmailer, prankster and girls' singles player in Seigaku, does not do the love scene.

It was total crap. Sure, she liked his company but nothing more. To like-like someone would mean they spend too much time together, enjoy each other, think about each other most of the day, feel happy being near him, not wanting their time to end.

Wait. Tezuka was always on her mind, she acted weird around him, at lunch she didn't want to leave him. Was she in love with him?

_Nah,_ Kira thought,_ Love is a mutual thing. I don't love Tezuka._

When she opened up the laptop, the word 'love' rang in her head. Kira pulled her hair, she wanted to die, to wake up from this awful nightmare. Why? Because she hated to admit it to herself, she wanted to continue school the way it is normally. Kira definitely did not want to have it interfere with tennis. She would have to ignore it._ I think I really like Tezuka…Curse my teenage hormones._

Niwa Kira pulled her hair, her teeth gritted and her face scrunched up. She let out a miserable groan, slamming her face into the pillow and shouting in English, a muffled, "No… This can't be happening, why God—why make me suffer, wasn't the monthly maternal cycle enough?"

--

_I _:heart: _you_

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**OriginalCrazian: **Sorry for another long chapter. xD School started up again. So I'll probably be typing more during that time. Ironically, I have more time to write cough procrastinate-on-other-assignmentcough during school than I do summer. Oh well, I hope you enjoyed it. The epic double fail by Kira and Suzuru is a fail. Until next time, later.

_Edit_

So, at first the heart sign showed up but apparently it didn't, so I just put it inbetween colons. That's just if you wondered what was with the colon around 'heart'.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimers: ** Yeah, these things suck. It's already implied since it _is_ Fanfiction. I refuse to write anymore of these for this story.

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The Countdown

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Eleven Years ago

What was she going to do? All Kira did was lie there on her bed wishing that today was just a bad dream. Yet every moment that passed, second by second, felt as though fate wanted her to suffer more. She waited in her room as her parents argued constantly about the future of her and her siblings. How hard her mother fought to break away from the family. Maybe it was to be with that new coworker Kira had seen her with behind her father's back. Life was difficult.

A subtle knock on the door was barely audible as Sora carried the baby into her room, followed by their grandfather, Mako, who has yet to retire from the government. Their grandfather's face were tired and wrinkled. His eyes were weary but kind as he and Sora sat on her bed that night. His voice was stern and comforting as he spoke. "Don't worry, everything will be alright soon."

"I can't take it," Sora snapped. Kira nodded as Yuki began to cry. Sora frowned, pushing the toddler onto his grandfather. He couldn't take it; not the tension, the sounds, the stress and definitely not his parents bickering down stairs. He was just a nine-year-old boy and already he was taking more care of his family than what his parents had perceived. "I hate them for fighting, if they hate each other so much why don't they just leave?"

"You don't hate them. You should never say that you hate your parents," their grandfather stated, trying to comfort the crying toddler in his arms while keeping his grandson's temper at bay. It seemed that the fights kept escalating every night. Maki hoped that his grandchildren wouldn't go numb from the animosity that began to fill the house each night.

"Maybe I shouldn't have said anything," Kira mumbled, covering her ears as Yuki's cries grew even more. Sora gritted his teeth, abruptly pointing to his siblings as he shouted at the top of his lungs. "There's no reason why I shouldn't say it. It's true. All they do is fight all the time since you said something about Okaa-san. I hate it. I HATE THIS FAMILY—"

Sora's cheek seared with burning pain as cold eyes glared down at him. The small taste of iron erupted on his tongue from biting himself accidentally. He bitterly returned the gazed to his grandfather. Yuki's crying only increase as Kira squinted while their parents continued yelling. When did this family begin to break apart?

"I told you not to say that. Just because your parents are fighting does not give you the right to say such things. They paid for the clothes you are wearing. They gave you a comfortable bed to sleep in every night, and a roof above your head to shield you from the rain. They love guys very much. This is something they have to find a solution on their own. Endure it Sora; you have to be strong for your siblings." He turned to his granddaughter and gently removed her hands from her ears. He gave her a gentle smile and spoke. "Kira, it isn't your fault. All you need to worry about is having fun."

The older siblings nodded reluctantly. They could not speak against their grandfather. The fight outside finally met a standstill with a loud slam of the door. Mako waited for several moments until he was sure it was alright to let the children go. "Now go to bed before something else happens."

Kira awoke to a small shuffle outside her door. Several hours had passed since the fight had ended. It wasn't until she heard a noise that caused her to leave her room to investigate. She cocked her head, slightly confused as to what her mother was doing with the suitcases by her side. "Mama, where are you going?"

"Kira," The tall woman was slightly shocked to see that the little girl had escaped her room. Arms quickly embraced the four-year-old girl; in a small whisper she asked Kira, "Do you want to come with Mama?"

Kira returned the embraced her mother with her small arms and nodded. The woman rose from the ground quickly took some of Kira's clothes and shoes and quickly dialed a number on her phone. "Steven, I need you to buy me another ticket for a child… Thank you."

"Mama, is Sora-nii and Yuki-nii coming?" Kira asked, tugging on her mother's skirt. Her mother simply ignored her daughter's question. Kira frowned and took out her small backpack and filled it with a family picture, two tennis balls, a book and she carried a tennis racket. Her mother encouraged her out of the house and into the taxi quickly. They left for America that night.

A month later, their parents' divorce was made final.

Seven Years Ago

"Onee-chan, what is living with Okaa-san like?" Yuki asked as his sister began unpacking. Starting from this day, she would be living with them. He was used to her visiting them in the past, but she was actually moving in now. He wanted to know this person who called herself his sister and the way she lived in America. He was a curious six-year-old boy who wanted to hear about the mother of who Sora had never spoken about and the one that both his father and grandfather had disowned.

"Just the same as always," his sister replied coolly. "Stupid and cowardly. She never follows through with her promises, nor does she even stay home. That woman constantly leaves the house in order to meet with another man. She's a horrible cook and rarely listens. Every night that she does come home, she's in a drunken stupor and wakes up whining about everything."

"Aren't mothers supposed to be good at stuff like that?" Yuki asked, remembering his friend's mother asking if he had been injured. His version of a "mother" was much different than what his sister had depicted…although she did use some words that he didn't understand. He _was_ a six-year-old boy after all. "My friend's mom is different."

"Your friend's mother is still with them, aren't they?" Kira snapped, slamming the suitcase closed. Yuki jumped from his skin and began to back away from his sister as she glared at him. "Their mother didn't abandon them, did she? She never told them that they were nuisances did she? I bet that she spent every birthday with them and cooked for them. I bet that she never left them at their grandparents' home and never came back. I bet you that she tells them 'I love you' every night.

"Our mother's not that type of person; she misses everything, never pays attention to us and gets angry when her boyfriend leaves her because she already had kids. She yells at you if you meet her standards, but she will never meet the standards of a mother. She's never even sent you a card for your or Sora-nii's birthday. What makes you think that she cares? She left you when you were only a baby! That's our kind of mother; the worst mother in world."

Kira's breathing was quick, and Yuki could feel his body shaking from his sister's outburst. But he knew what she said was right. His mother did abandon him as she did with other members of the family. He knew it for a long time but that was why he had envied Kira so much. He had no idea she was facing the same problems they had.

Five days

There was nothing more horrifying than to contemplate one's future. In fact, it even terrified Niwa Kira beyond her wits… and it took a lot to scare her.

She stood in front of her homeroom teacher as he scrambled about the sheets of paper and piles of trash. Kira watched anxiously as he found the blank sheet that the girl had turned in. Her teacher glared at her before tapping on the sheet. "Do you realize how important this is, Niwa?"

"Yes Morita-sensei," Kira meekly replied, rubbing the back of her neck. Morita frowned as Kira felt her stomach turning whenever she thought about her future. "It's that lousy career and goal sheet."

Morita gave an inward sigh while thinking, _Lousy she says._

"If you do not fill this out, Niwa, I will be forced to notify your parents." Kira cringed at the mere idea of Sora and her father interfering with her life. So what if she didn't know what she wanted to do when she grew up? She was happy to have passed the ninth grade....not that she would have failed it. Nonetheless, she shook her head and took the sheet. "This is classified right? No one will be looking at our answers besides you?"

Morita nodded as Kira grudgingly scribbled three goals on the paper, hastily shoving it at him and left. Curious, Morita glanced over the sheet expecting for a logical career coming from Kira. But his hopes were all dashed as he read her three goals. He shook his head in dismay. He would have to notify her parents.

_My three goals in life are:  
1) Beat Tezuka Kunimitsu in game of tennis.  
2) Win a match in Wimbledon.  
3) Go into professional tennis within the next year._

Four days Ago

Kira was quite agitated that afternoon. It wasn't because of the probable stalker fan boy or some Inui wannabe opponent (although her tennis probably nowhere close to Inui's extreme data skill). No, it was much more annoying than that. SHE WAS NOT ALLOWED TO PLAY KUROSAKI'S MATCH.

Kira's luck had gone haywire. That was all Kira would even bother calling it. Why did the captain and half the team get food poisoning the day they had a match? Why couldn't they wait for her to crush them first? No, they just had to lose all doubles and Kurosaki's singles match first.

_Whatever_, she thought, pushing all her thought to the back of her head and walked into her house. _We're probably going against __Osaka__ high next week. They usually put up a good fight_.

"Welcome home, Akira." Kira flinched once she heard that name. Kira swore her heart had stop beating when she had heard that long forgotten name spoke with the icy, strict voice that could one belong to her mother. She ceased her walking and slowly turned her attention to the couch by the piano. Kira's world began to burn with flames of hatred and despair as she absorbed the woman's presence that sat on the couch. Her teeth gritted under her lips, and her fist clenched at the sight.

"What reason do I owe this humble visit to?" Kira's words drowned in sarcasm. Oh how Kira despised the woman who sat there with her frigid pride. If one hadn't noticed the invisible emotion, it would seem that she had a false leash on her lonely control.

"Kira, don't be rude to your mother." Kira's eyes darted to the kitchen door. Her father stood there in well-fitted suit with a tense look in his eyes that made Kira's stomach flip." We need to talk. The three of us."

"About what?" Kira inquired. What reason could possibly be so urgent that would not only bring her mother to visit her "loveable" family, but cause her father to come home early from work (as suggested by his fitted suit), _and_ make herself sit in the same room with that woman?

Applying a light pressure to his temples, her father sat in an armchair. He held out a loose sheet of paper with the sloppiest handwriting that Kira ever did see. It was her career sheet she had turned in. Kira could feel her blood pressure rise to her neck and all she could think of befitting such situation was simple._ Shit_.

"We three need to talk, Kira." Kira could feel the shivers riding down her back just as it had when she was told that she was kicked off the tennis team. "Tennis isn't you're future. Kira, tell us, what exactly is tennis to you?"

What was tennis to her? She couldn't answer.

Three days

Tezuka wasn't expecting much from Kira when she had texted him that late night. He had more important things to deal with in life than the girl's irrational thinking of whether or not American English or British English was better (or at least that was how their last conversation over the phone had gone when he called to ask a simple question on some English homework), nor did he want to be harassed over the phone by a girl that was significantly challenged in becoming a proper lady. The tennis player waited outside at the tennis courts near his and Kira's home. He leaned against the fence with his tennis gear hanging off of one shoulder.

Why was he there? The thought clouded Tezuka Kunimitsu's mind as he waited for Kira to arrive. He could have simply rejected her sudden need to play tennis, but he didn't. It wasn't as simple as he didn't want to—not that he wanted to have a small rally at eight p.m. the night before his match with Hyoutei—it was more like an annoying bug gnawing on his side that told him to go.

What really bothered Tezuka was more of the subject that began to occupy his mind more each day almost as much as tennis: the enigma known as Niwa Kira.

Something about her began to take over his mind. Maybe it was due to the ball that was in less than few days. He had put so much effort into changing Kira into the perfect lady; he just couldn't stand to see everything fail because her lack of effort. He gave a low sigh. His pondering ceased once he heard footsteps walking towards him.

"A lady should always be prompt, especially if she is the one who invited the guest," he said, his gaze fixing on Kira. Tezuka was slightly taken aback once he saw her. Kira's playful aura had erupted into an intimidating fire. Her eyes were dark, and clearly showed how chaotic her mind was. He was surprise to see her in her tennis uniform instead of her usual tennis attire that consisted of a baggy shirt and shorts. Her racket was raised an inch away from his face, giving Tezuka an ominous feeling about why she had decided to call him out to play. He could hear her once charismatic, annoying voice transformed into a frustrated, suppressed scream for help. "Don't hold back."

_I hate_ _this_, Kira couldn't help but think as she began to serve. Her body was falling into turmoil, hate, and depression. She just needed to get it out. She needed to stop everything. She didn't want to play anymore, but yet it was so ingrained into her body that it was the only thing she could do. The ball hovered in the air. Kira watched the ball as it slowly descended into her reach. _I DON'T CARE_.

The ball flew passed Tezuka and continued to spin once it had met contact with the ground. He was taken off-guard by the speed. Where had this strength come from? It couldn't have been Kira, could it? But something was not right at all. The ball stopped spinning and left an imprint. Tezuka couldn't wrap his mind around it, what was happening? Tezuka positioned himself for the next serve, which came at the same speed, but this time, he returned it. Thus began a long night for both of them. Kira's arms began to burn as the match dragged on.

4-3 _I need to win.._

Why? Why couldn't she beat him? This familiar feeling from him....what was it? This need to win or lose—was it total stubbornness childlike attitude to the match that brought Tezuka to never lose. If so, why couldn't she win? Kira just didn't understand what separated her from this magnificent player in front of her and herself? Was it skill? Dedication? It couldn't be that.

4-4 _Damn, Tezuka scored. I need to win._

Kira wouldn't accept a simple answer like him being better or more motivated than her. No, not at all. She poured her sweat into the game. Once it had been for her mother, her father, her family, her school. Why couldn't she play for herself? She was, wasn't she?

4-5 _Shit he scored again. I need to win._

Niwa Kira played for no one but herself. She was undeniably the most stubborn girl that had stepped foot into a tennis court. So why? Why can't she beat Tezuka? It was almost exactly like last time with that stranger. No, Kira couldn't deny the feeling in her gut. The stranger who beat her before, she knew already, was Tezuka.

4-6 _No, I need to win._ _I HAVE TO WIN THIS. _

Kira gave one last swipe at the ball watching it skidding against the net and fall. Her eyes fell on the feet that had been waiting patiently for the ball to arrive upon the face of his racket. Kira ran as the ball slightly rolled on his lowered racket. Tripping on her own two feet, she roughly glided against the concrete court as the ball hovered above her racket. Kira began to pray to anything to let it be Buddah, God, or even the Devil. _Please, please make it._

4-7

The worn out tennis ball rolled off Kira's racket. She just couldn't do it. She just can't win.

Tezuka won.

Her mother was right.

She failed as she would always do. Kira lay face-down against the ground, her knee and hands profusely pouring out blood and sweat. Maybe she wasn't cut out for this. Maybe her while life was one huge fantasy that she made up to replace the use and love for a mother. Perhaps her parents were right in telling her that she needed to start taking life more seriously. Maybe she try out something more reasonable like becoming a chemist, doctor, English teacher or something more practical. Yes, perhaps that would be best…even if she didn't want to.

"Kira?"

Kira's fist held tightly to the racket. The mere thought of ending her tennis career gave her more pain than that of her wounds. She pounded her fist into the ground almost as though to bring her back to reality. But it brought her into a much deep hole of which she soon gave up on escaping. This deep seeded depression overcame her desire to pursue the career she would like. She was stupid for thinking that she could take on the tennis world so quickly. How arrogant she was to think that she, an ordinary girl who just decided in the mist of ignorance, that she could take on the tennis world.

"Kira?" Tezuka repeated, coming to her aid. He offered her a hand to help Kira up but she just pushed him away.

"I'll get up myself!" She snapped. Kira didn't need anyone. She didn't want anyone. Who were they to cause this mess in her life? She wanted to live life as a normal fifteen-year-old girl without drama, a girl who just wanted to play tennis and live life one day at a time. She wanted to think that she had enough skill to attend Haregraves Academy (1), England's school of academics and sports that mainly specialized in tennis players.

Why did they have to end it? What was she to them? Nothing? Yes, nothing. She had nothing to work for. Nothing to play for. Who was she? Niwa Kira? Niwa Akira? She didn't know anymore. Being Kira or Akira or whoever, she was pushed herself off the ground and began to limp away. Her precious racket clattered against the only words "Just leave me alone."

-Tezuka's-

Tezuka stared at Kira's equipment that he had placed in the corner of his room. What was this guilty feeling on his conscience? He had done nothing wrong. Yet he couldn't sleep or concentrate on anything but Kira. Her eyes were so distant from him. Those words sounded so alien, it was like they were coming out of someone else's mouth. What was this feeling in him?

Tezuka let a low sigh before putting on his glasses and opened the bedroom window. The cool breeze that kissed his face was certainly welcome that hot summer night. He hoped that the wind would blow away his thoughts about Kira and focus on tennis, just like it cooled the heat.

_Her serves were more accurate than those at practice and her __power balls__ were stronger than I imagined. Kira, you've certainly grown as a __tennis player,__ but not as a lady_, Tezuka thought as his eyes traveled to the tree that covered the Niwa house. He gently stared at the house, wondering why that one annoying, cocky, hard-headed girl wouldn't leave his mind. He shook his head and closed the windows. Whatever was going on with him needed to wait. He had a tennis match tomorrow and he didn't need the stress from Kira to distract him.

Two Days ago

"Suzuru, would you please control yourself in public?" Kira asked, tilting her cap down to block the sun's bright light from her eyes. Being near a tennis court aggravated her more as the seconds passed. If it weren't for that mother of hers she would have gladly stayed home and sulked to herself. No, not even that. She wouldn't be in this slump if it wasn't for that woman.

"But Kira, look at all the hot guys out here and Hyoutei boys at that," Suzuru exclaimed, twirling around in total bliss. Kira rolled her eyes and shook her head in dismay. "Of course they're hot. It's practically seventy degrees Celsius, Suzuru; people can get heat stroke in this type of weather."

"You know what I mean, Niwa. I wonder if any of them are single," Suzuru seemed to be in heavenly daze. Kira just leaned against the fence hoping to blend in with the crowd. She didn't want to be near a tennis court nor did she want to see Tezuka at the moment. She just wanted to go disappear…

_Whoa, what an emo thought_, Kira thought, sinking to the ground. _How uncool._

"Come on, Zuzu, we have to meet that Obaa-chan don't we?" Kira stated, hoping it would bring her friend out of her crazy fangirl fantasy.

"Oi, Niwa you always have to ruin my fun, don't you?" Suzuru pouted her lips as though ready to cry. Kira just rolled her eyes at her friend's vain attempt to make her feel guilty. And Kira Niwa does NOT do guilty... Well for the exception of that one time with Tezuka but that was behind her. He had to be. She just couldn't take the truth from her mother, nor could she take the truth from reality. She was just not good enough and she probably could never amount to anything if she had continued to dream.

There was no use to dreaming, nor was there to pursue a dream that will never come true. That was what her mother's truth. Kira, despite her family's argument, did believe she could have gone pro in a year… Apparently not.

- - -

Kira and Suzuru waited on the benches for the game to start. Kira glanced over the crowd of cheering Hyoutei fans and couldn't help but be mortified by the large amount of fanatics there were... And they were only in middle school. Kira gave a low sigh as Seigaku made their entrance. A roaring wave of fangirls (along with some actual tennis fans) challenged –or so it had seemed to be—the Hyoutei's cheer squad.

Kira did not find out who had one nor did she wanted to acknowledge the fact that the public seemed to have forgotten that tennis was a delicate sport of strategy and mind games as well as physical... One of which should allow the players (except for Eiji) peace and quiet, not to mention their neighbors.

"GO SEIGAKU!" Suzuru shouted, almost on cue with the next vibrating, agitating, pain staking, throbbing pulse that shot to her brain. This was not the most pleasant experience that Kira ever had.

"Honda..."Kira's vain attempt to calm her friend down failed, as Suzuru only responded with louder cheers. Kira teeth gritted as she attempted to wait patiently for the game to start, but that didn't last too long. "HONDA, SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN."

Suzuru gulped, quickly sat down, and began obeying Kira's wishes. Everyone around them too froze in fear of the annoyed girl and ceased their cheering. It wasn't until the teams had risen from their seats did the cheering erupted again. Kira scanned the teams as they walked up with cold eyes.

She hated loving this feeling that engulfed her body in total ecstasy. This was the feeling of tennis. The love for the game; it was everything that had been ingrained into her body. She hated how she still felt for the sport. Kira wanted to be numb by all that was around her, and ignore all this wishful energy around her. That way it would be easier for her to quit.

"Neh, Kira, who do you think will win?" Suzuru asked, her eyes attached to the Hyoutei's team.

"I don't care." Kira believed that was one of the harshest lies she would ever have to speak. She couldn't watch it. If she did, then she couldn't leave the sport as she had promised her mother after being defeated by Tezuka. And yet her body didn't move from that spot.

"HYOUTEI WILL WIN! SEIGAKU WILL LOSE!"

"THE WINNER IS ATOBE! THE LOSER IS TEZUKA"

"THE LOSER IS TEZUKA. THE WINNER IS—"

_Snap._

Kira watch dully as Atobe extravagantly pulled off his jacket, waited for a moment before delivering his final word. "Ore-sama."

And yet her body didn't move from that spot. Her eyes were glued with each serve, lift, volley, return, point, game.

The crowd around cheered and hushed as this brilliant match happened before her eyes. Her eyes were glued with each serve, lift, volley, return, point, game. The game entranced Kira. She was awed by Atobe's serves, returns and that insight of his. Tezuka captured her attention with the Tezuka zone, the way his body moved two the ball, that Zero-Shiki drop shot, and his resolve to the team after his secret injury was uncovered.

Even as Tezuka and Atobe fought for the winning match point she could feel these emotions tearing herself apart. She wanted to cry (not like Suzuru, who began crying a river over how dedicated Tezuka had been for sacrificing his arm for Seigaku). She wanted to play too—to have that rush to win again in her veins. Kira did not want to quit. She did not want give up on her goals just yet, and who cares if they were all tennis-related.

"GO SEIGAKU!" Kira shouted as though her life was on the line.

Tezuka glanced over at her direction as he began the last serve. Kira's face burned as their eyes met, but the looks in his eyes reassured her. She just wanted to watch him play. This was what they shared. This love of tennis, and that was all they had. Tennis.

-Present Day-

The sound of paper tearing had never sounded more like music to Kira's ears until she ripped the resigning paper into itsy bitsy pieces. Neither had she ever appreciated Suzuru's lecture of how she shouldn't be so careless as to lose her tennis gear during tournament season, or scaring Suzuru's wits by saying that she was going to quit. Kira loved it all but there were two things that she needed to clear up.

"Hey, Kuni-pii. Kuni-pii, come on answer Kuni-pii," Kira teased once practice had ended. Tezuka ignored her until Fuji got word of Tezuka's new nickname.

"Kuni-pii," Fuji playfully pondered aloud." It suits you, Tezuka."

Tezuka glared at him, as though daring Fuji to call him that. Kira smirked at Tezuka's annoyance. "Oi Tezuka, can I ask a favor?"

He gave her a curious look as she apologized on their walk home.

-One hour later-  
"So what do you think?" Kira asked, lying in her bedroom. Honestly Tezuka had no idea how to react when she had told him about going pro. They stared into each others' eyes for what seemed like forever until he spoke.

"You can't make it." Kira frowned. It wasn't that she didn't expect him to say it, but she didn't expect him to say it with such certainty.

"Yeah, I knew you'd say that. And I will." She had a determined, self-ensured, strong smile on her face. "I'll show everyone that I can. Because if I don't go after it, I won't stay calm and I'll regret it. Stop me if you want to try, but nothing except death will stop me."

"If you can beat me in a year, I will accept that you will make it," Tezuka replied. A small smile tugged on his lips at Kira's speech. He couldn't help but feel glad that she was starting to see tennis in a different view. But he couldn't help but feel slightly guilty that he knew she wouldn't make it. Even if she did defeat him in a game of tennis. Not until she understood what it meant to be a tennis player. But he just couldn't crush this new resolve. He stared at her with kind, gentle eyes.

Kira and Tezuka held that simple calm gaze for a moment. It brought both their minds at ease. It was almost like they were in a world of their own. They forgot about the English test that they should be studying for or the upcoming matches; they were in a world where nothing exist for that moment. Kira was the first to pull away from the glance as a thought crossed her mind.

All the blood rushed to her face, exploding into heat as she looked away. She shouldn't have thought that. She mentally beat herself up for thinking such thought, _Kira, you cannot see him that way. You need to put all this unneeded energy into becoming a lady for that upcoming ball and tennis.  
_  
When their gaze broke, Tezuka could feel a rather large amount of heat befallen his face. He suppressed the blush that threaten color his face. The thought that ran pass his mind was suicidal and he knew it. He needed to focus on tennis and his elbow.

"Let's get back with the homework," Kira stated, trying to change the mood. Tezuka agreed hoping it would bring him away from such nonsense.

-Now-

A knock disrupted Kira's lady lessons (as today's lesson was to control one's temper and tongue) which surprisingly went pretty well excusing some profanity, censored comments and the occasional threats of beating someone with a dictionary. Yuki suppressed a need to roll his eyes when he saw Kira and Tezuka—well mainly Kira—bickering about some nonsense tennis. "You two sure argue like a married couple."

Oh, if looks could kill, Yuki would be dead ten times over by the glares that he received from Kira. Although the look may not have killed him, Yuki still looked ill, if not annoyed more than usual. Kira crossed her arms and fumed, "What do you want?"

"Thought I should inform you that the woman's back and Ojii-san suggest that Tezuka to head home," Yuki informed before walking towards his own room.

"Do you have a guest?" Tezuka asked. Kira let out a low, aggravated sigh. Tracing her hair behind her ears she gave a light nod of the head.

"My lazy relative—you don't want to meet her. I'll walk you home, besides you have my gear," Kira had replied so carelessly that he paid no mind to who this relative was.

"Steady," Sora comforted, steadying his disheveled mother. His mother's face red and drenched in the scent of alcohol could only make him wonder why he tried showing this woman in a different light for his siblings.

"Leave me alone. Don't touch me," she snapped, trying to keep her words from slurring. Sora shook his head. "Isn't it a bit obscure to be getting drunk while you're a guest in someone's house?"

"Who do you think you're talking to," she asked, stabbing him in the chest with her long fingers and her intoxicating breath in her face. "I'm not leaving without showing my daughter the rights of her wrong."

"I haven't seen Kira do anything wrong. She's been doing much better since she started tennis again. What's so wrong with having a dream?" Sora defended, leading the woman away from the stairs. Ito, their mother, quickly turned on her eldest child and darkly began screaming, "Dream all she wants but that girl will NEVER become a good enough tennis player."

There was a silence in the room when the two teens landed on the flat and the adults looked up at them and stared. A heavy air surrounded them; Sora's heart dropped when he saw Kira. Had she and Tezuka heard everything that was spoken? She had to. Their mother never made an attempt to keep her voice down.

Tezuka had no idea of what to do. Considering this was his first glimpse of so-called "dead" mother, being caught in a family feud wasn't the situation he expected.. He glanced at Kira, whose demeanor had turned cold.

Kira's cold hands slid into Tezuka's warm ones. She could feel him slightly tug but not pull away. She led him down the stairs passing her mother. When Ito and Kira were at eye level, Kira took advantage of the moment and spoke, "I will not give up."

"Stupid child," Ito snapped as Kira and Tezuka left the house.

"I hate my mother," Kira stated once the door closed behind them. Their hands still holding each other's while Kira led the way. "I don't hate her because she said that I won't amount to anything or that she won't accept that I need tennis. It has nothing to do with that."

Tezuka expected her to continue rambling over her problems like she usually did, but she stopped. All Kira did was lead him to his house. Halfway there he could almost see her sullen by the way she walk to the way she hid her depression.

"You were right not to cause a scene," he stated, trying to hide his awkwardness. Kira grip tighten at the comment. He was relieved by the gesture he could see a small smile form on her face. They walked in peace.  
- - -

"Oh, I miss you," she exclaimed, hugging her dirty tennis gear. "I will never plan to quit tennis ever again."

Tezuka suppress a small chuckle; watching Kira holding her tennis gear and speaking to it like it was animate made her look almost...childlike. Yes, that was the word he was looking for, childlike.

"Tezuka, who are you going to take to the ball tomorrow?" Kira asked, knowing all well that it would be her... Well she hoped it was her. If it was another girl, Tezuka had another thing coming to him than just a broken elbow shoulder. Niwa Kira was second to no one.

He gave her a blank stare and looked at the calendar. She was right. The ball was tomorrow. "No one."

Kira's jaw almost dropped to the floor if it wasn't for her pride keeping it up. She placed her duffle bag down, crossed her arms and avoided looking at him. What nerve he had to say that.

"Then I guess I'm not going either," Kira stated, pouting her lips. Tezuka glared at her. What did she mean she wasn't going to the ball? Was it not the whole entire point that he was tutoring her into being a lady then?

"What do you mean?" He asked, suppressing all traces of annoyance in voice. "Wasn't the ball the whole point of turning you into a lady?"

"A lady should never show up at a party unaccompanied," The ace stated in an almost—no, absolutely—mocking voice. Kira's fingers played with her hair childishly as she let out a low faux sigh. "I mean, where can a girl get a date at the last minute?"

"Why did you wait until now to think of that?" Tezuka singly stated. Kira restrained all impulses to knock some hormones into the tennis nut case. Was Tezuka really that dense? Maybe she was doing this "Flirting: Tezuka edition" wrong... Maybe, that can't be it. Tezuka Kunimitsu was probably born without hormones... Lucky him.

"Ah, whatever," Kira stated, finally giving up on giving him a clue (God forbid any clue) that she wanted to go with him. There was no way to get Tezuka into the sea of teenage hormones. "I'm heading home."

Tezuka was slightly confused the sudden change of attitude in Kira. But all he did was give a light nod. Kira scratched her head for a moment, shying away from him. Her face slightly flustered, she added, "Thanks for putting up with me."

"You're welcome." He too, began to feel awkward in the room. Several seconds passed by, which felt like hours, until Kira broke the silence with an awkward motion. Before Tezuka could react; Kira's arms flew around his neck and gave him a light squeeze. Stunned, Tezuka didn't react at first but slowly returned the embraced.

"Kira, would you like to stay for dinner?" They heard Tezuka's mother yell. The two broke their embrace quickly, avoiding each other's gaze.

"No, thank you," Kira responded awkwardly. Her face burned with every vibrant pinks and red known to man and she didn't make an attempt to hide it. Tezuka's cheeks too were tinted with a light shade of pink for even his stoned face began to deteriorate when the two were alone. These small advances became less concealed as the two weeks of tutoring had passed them.

"I should probably leave before Sora has a fit," she stated, pointing at the clock. Tezuka gave a slight nod and petted her head gently, he said the words that she had so eagerly wanted to hear for a long time. "Kira, you're worth something."

Although it was said awkwardly and it did come from Tezuka, the sounds of those words were pleasant to her ears. And that feeling and the thought had risen again.

"Thanks," Kira said in a rush. She had to get out of there, or else she couldn't control her sudden impulses much longer. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Once Kira had left, Tezuka immediately collapsed on his bed. It was as though a million pounds had left the room. He let out a relieved sigh and stared at the ceiling. Tezuka let his guard down in the security of his room. His heart was nearly jumping from his chest, thumping louder with each minute that had passed, his cheeks burning as though the sun had kissed them and a small, microscopic smile finally broke his mask. He felt accomplished when he heard that she wouldn't quit tennis. She finally understood a little bit of herself. He almost had the confidence that she could pull off being a lady.

He was glad that she was herself again. But what was this feeling in his chest? Why did it begin to occur constantly as Kira came to visit or when her name was spoken or had cross his mind? This electrical sensation that surges though his body used to be caused by tennis but now her too? Wait. He couldn't believe what was happening. Did he, Tezuka Kunimitsu, fallen in love with the most annoying, hard-headed, flirtatious, offensive, and confusing girl he had ever met? No, this cannot be happening. Not with her, please _anyone_ but her. But he liked Niwa Kira. Yes, he liked her a lot.

***

Even though they occupied their own rooms, they couldn't help but think of those feelings that surge through their bodies. Those ideas that they forbid their minds from thinking. Despite their desires to leave the illogical thoughts behind; the feelings still burned.

Kira and Tezuka suppressed the one impulse that they would not, could not, should not and hopefully, will never act upon.

"I really want to kiss him."  
"I really want to kiss her."

* * *

**-Countdown Completed-**

* * *

**Haregraves Academy**- I'm pretty sure this doesn'y exist. But if it does then crap.

* * *

**OriginalCrazian:** Sorry for the long delay.  I had written this chapter before but in all honesty I wrote it because I felt obligated too in a rut…so the first version of this chapter was really lagged and terrible. In other words it's just me rambling more than needed. So with the generous guiding of my beta reader, I decided to rewrite it (even though I think she's pretty much done with my tedious mistakes… She's truly a saint and I should bake her cookies. xD). Unfortunately, school had been eating me up alive not to mention volunteer work TT_TT. This past year's been murderous on me but this story won't be on hiatus. Thanks for sticking with me all the way.


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